This archive report was first published on 5 December 2019.
Published on December 5, 2019, a land ownership dispute in Methi village, Maragua Constituency, has sparked controversy over two title deeds for the same half-acre parcel of land valued at Sh7.5 million.
The dispute involves Erastus Kamau and Bernard Mungai, two members of Methi and Swani Cooperative Society, who claim to have obtained title deeds for the disputed land through the society.
According to the Murang'a land registrar, Alice Gishemba, the two men presented ballot papers numbered 524 and 930, respectively, and claimed to have collected their ownership documents from the Murang'a Lands office on different dates.
Mr. Kamau, in his 80s, stated that he registered as a member of the society in 1972 and was shown the parcel of land in 2016. Mr. Mungai, on the other hand, claimed to have joined the society through his parents and was allocated the land in 2016.
However, Mr. Kamau alleged that there have been four attempts to exchange ownership of the land despite him being the bonafide owner. He also claimed that Mr. Mungai moved to court in 2017 to claim control of the land after finding a semi-permanent house on the parcel.
The registrar has promised to write to the Machakos court to provide the position on the matter, as directed by a court order issued in May 2019.
