Lecturer denies forging sale agreement, lease for Sh28 million land

A lecturer at Egerton University has denied forging documents for a parcel of land in Milimani estate, Nakuru, worth Sh28 million.

Douglas Kamau, who appeared before Chief Magistrate Josephat Kalo, is charged alongside former Nakuru Mayor Herman Nderi. The duo allegedly forged documents for the 1.5-acre land belonging to businessman Ibrahim Surraw.

“The accused persons uttered a forged lease for the suit land as genuine at Nakuru High Court Registry on May 23, 2018,” read the charges.

Dr Kamau allegedly forged a lease and lease certificate for the land on March 5, 2014, and September 8, 2014, respectively.

He is accused of illegally taking possession of Surraw’s land without colour of right on diverse dates between June 2017 and December 6, 2018.

The businessman told the court that he bought the land for Sh28 million from Ibrahim Kiptanui on October 31, 2017, but in May 2018, Nderi accompanied by other people evicted him from the land.

However, in his defence, Kamau claimed that he legally owns part of the land after purchasing it for Sh12 million from one Stephen Kiprono.

“I am claiming ownership of part of the suit land. I took possession of the land in April 2013, after finalising the payment of Sh12 million,” he testified.

He further said that he constructed houses on the land.

Kamau denounced an alleged forged sale agreement and two leases for the land, produced by prosecutor Saline Joyce dated November 13, 2013.

“The agreement produced by the prosecution is not the one I used to purchase the land,” he testified.

He questioned a letter from the Deputy Registrar of the High Court in Nakuru to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations dated October 26, 2018.

The letter directed DCI to investigate if the leases and sale agreement filed by the accused persons were genuine.

John Masawi, an investigating officer, told the court he discovered that Nderi had allegedly hired goons to evict Surraw from the land.

The case will continue on June 4.