Tycoon wants Joho jailed for demolishing his property

Businessman Ashok Doshi and his wife want Governor Hassan Joho (pictured) jailed for six months for demolishing their property.

Doshi said Joho abused his powers and revoked the title deed to his two-acre prime piece of land in Changamwe. The tycoon also accused Joho of demolishing the perimeter wall and gate despite a court order.

“The governor should be cited for contempt and serve civil jail term for going against a court order,” said Doshi.

Doshi’ lawyer Willis Oluga told Lady Justice Ann Omollo that Joho hired about 100 goons and stormed Doshi’s property with bulldozers, where he brought down a perimeter wall and gate worth about Sh2 million on May 10.

“Joho and Bernard Ochieng Ogutu, MCA Changamwe, accompanied by a number of leaders from Mombasa, hired about 100 goons and invaded the suit property demolishing the wall and gate and accused Doshi of being a land grabber,” said Oluga. 

Oluga said the county on May 12 brought in bulldozers that demolished part of the boundary wall dividing the suit premises and Changamwe Secondary School.

He said Joho and his officers should be the ones at the fore front in upholding the law and dignity of the court yet they “exhibited acts of lawlessness and hooliganism”.

“The governor stated that as the president of Mombasa, he had revoked the tittle to the property and made good his threat by demolishing the gate, boundary wall and attempted to scuttle furniture-making traders on the premises,” said Doshi.

Joho accused Doshi of grabbing the said land, which he claims belongs to Changamwe Secondary School.

Joho revoked the allotment that he claims the former Municipal Council of Mombasa allocated to Turf Developers Limited, who were the original owners of the said land before Doshi bought it from them.

According to Joho, the said land originally belonged to the Municipal Council of Mombasa before it was given to the School. 

“We have declared that this land belongs to the school, it originally belonged to the county. It was listed in the Ndung’u Report and the court ordered that it revert to the government. The National Land Commission (NLC) had made a similar decision, said the governor in his address to the public.

“Why should one person fight for this land as if it is his birth right?” posed Joho.

However, Doshi said that he 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.

Doshi wants the court to rule that he is the rightful owner of the land and issue permanent injunction barring Joho and his officers from the property.