Citizen TV’s ‘Mother-in-Law’ this week faced off in Court of Appeal with ex husband Shem Bageine, a Ugandan Minister of State for East African Affairs in court, over a house they co-own in Loresho. The two had not set eyes on each since parting 34 years ago.
Elizabeth Wanjiru, the grandmotherly shosh whose steely TV performance has made her a household name, is demanding a share of their matrimonial property ownership following a three-decade court battle.
‘Shosh’ was married to Bageine for 13 years. During their marriage, they jointly purchased a house in Loresho which Bageine, a Ugandan national, registered in his name. In her argument,’shosh’ said that the man walked out of their marriage in 1981. He went back to his native Uganda in 1987 to build his career after his Kenyan citizenship was revoked by the government.
Bageine rose through the ranks from an MP to assistant minister to his current position as Minister of State for East African Affairs.
In her documents, ‘Shosh’ said that the Loresho house was bought by her money that she credited in an account she held jointly with Bageine, only that it was registered under the Ugandan’s name. Moreover, she claims that Bageine sold the property to Mugo Muiru Investment Limited.
In the case, ‘Shosh’ wants to be given full ownership of the house. Currently, Housing Finance Company remains the developer of the Loresho property.
A previous ruling had been made by the High Court on the matter in 2003, where Justice Richard Kuloba said that ‘Shosh’ should not be thrown out of her home. Despite that, she was not given ownership of the home. Mugo Muiru Investment Limited, contested the decision at the Court of Appeal in 2004 in the ongoing case.
In her defence, however, ‘Shosh’ claims the company was non-existent at the time of the alleged sale.
