This archive report was first published on 14 November 2019.
On November 14, 2019, a court case involving a land dispute in Mombasa came to the forefront as tycoon Ashok Doshi sought the High Court's intervention to have Governor Hassan Joho and other officials held in contempt of court.
According to Doshi's lawyer, Willis Oluga, Joho and his officials, including County Chief Officer for Lands, Physical Planning and Housing Jaffar Mosheh and Changamwe MCA Bernard Ochieng Ogutu, had violated a court order by revoking Doshi's title to his two-acre prime land in Changamwe.
Oluga stated that Joho had abused his powers and office to illegally revoke the title deed and demolish Doshi's property, producing a video clip in court that showed Joho and other leaders supervising the demolition of the gate on the property.
Oluga alleged that Joho had hired about 100 goons and stormed the property with bulldozers, bringing down the perimeter wall and gate estimated to cost Sh2 million.
He added that on March 6, 2019, Justice Ann Omollo had granted orders stopping the county government of Mombasa from interfering with the suit, and that Joho and his officials were bound by the order.
However, Joho had accused Doshi of grabbing the land, which he claimed belonged to Changamwe Secondary School and promised to reposes it back to the school.
But Doshi maintained that he had purchased the land from Turf Developers Limited, who had a government lease of 99 years with effect from December 1995 at an annual rent of Sh50,000.
Mosheh and Ochieng denied any involvement in the demolition, with Mosheh stating that he was on leave at the time and had complied with the court's order dated March 6, 2019, barring the county government from trespassing on the property.
