Children's centre in battle over Sh500m Nairobi city plot

A row is simmering over the ownership of land worth Sh500 million in Upper Hill, Nairobi.

Trustees of United Arab Emirates rulers Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan have claimed the one-acre piece of land, saying it was given to them by retired President Daniel arap Moi in 1990 to put up Sheikh Zayed Children's Welfare Centre.

However, the Chief Land Registrar has written to City Hall, saying the land belongs to Pelican Engineering Construction and Company Ltd. He has asked the trustees to file a formal complaint with his office. The prime land is registered as LR No. 209/11552 and is situated next to Rahimtullah Towers in Upper Hill.

"This land was given to us and we have been paying land rates until recently when we were informed that someone else was claiming it," former Chief Kadhi Hamad Kassim, one of the trustees, told The Standard.

Pelican Engineering Construction and Company Ltd wrote to the Nairobi City County on April 9, 2015, seeking to have the rate card changed to reflect their names.

"We hereby request your office to regularise your records on the property where our client, who is a registered proprietor, should also be indicated as a rateable owner," a letter from Muchoki, Kangata & Njenga Advocates to the city chief land valuer stated.

On May 11, Chief Valuer N Nyoike wrote to the chief land registrar seeking the clear records on ownership so they could update their records accordingly.

"I have received conflicting information as relates to the ownership of the above reference propriety. On one hand, the registered trustees of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan, who appears on our rating records, claims to be owners while on the other hand, Pelican, which has now requested to be included in the rating roll, is also claiming ownership," he said.

Two days later, a Machora Mogare, writing on behalf of the chief land registrar, informed City Hall the land belonged to Pelican and asked the trustees to make a formal complaint to his office.

"As per the official search done on April 1, 2015, the registered proprietors of the above land are Pelican Engineering Construction and Company Ltd. Refer also to your search dated April 9, 2015," Mr Mogare wrote back to Nyoike.

However, on realising the development, the lawyers of Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nayhan moved the following day and published a caveat in the newspapers warning any potential buyers.

The registered trustees of Sheikh Zayed Children's Welfare Centre is a charitable organisation based in Mombasa that takes care of 200 orphans and provides school facilities to another 500 non-orphan children. "The above land has never been on sale and any person intending to have any dealings will be doing it at his/her own risk," a notice by Khatib & Company Advocates stated.