Businessman charged with alleged Sh150m land fraud denied bail

Businessman John Kigomo Mwaura when he appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on May 18, 2026. [Nancy Gitonga, Standard]

An elderly Nairobi businessman has been charged before a Nairobi court over allegations of defrauding two daughters of a deceased industrialist of their Westlands property valued at Sh150 million.

John Kigomo Mwaura appeared before Milimani Principal Magistrate Geoffrey Onsarigo on May 18, 2026, where he denied 12 counts of various economic crimes, including conspiracy to defraud, forgery, making documents without authority, uttering forged documents, trespass, and obtaining land registration by false pretences.

The charges relate to a maisonette on a 0.1178-hectare parcel of land in Westlands, Nairobi, property belonging to Sabahatt Shokatali Habib and Sadaff Shokatali Habib, daughters of the late industrialist Shokatali Gulam Hussein Habib.

According to the charge sheet, Mwaura is jointly charged with another suspect Abdisalan Adan Hussein

The two are accused of conspiring to defraud Sabahatt Shokatali Habib and Sadaff Shokatali Habib of a maisonette forming part of LR No. 1870/III/417, IR No. 86014 (original No. 1870/232/2), IR No. 81623/1, located in Westlands, Nairobi County.

The property is said to measure approximately 0.1178 hectares and is valued at Sh150 million.

Prosecutors allege that the accused, on or before April 29, 2019, jointly conspired to fraudulently register a lease document purporting it to be a genuine instrument issued by the Ministry of Lands at Ardhi House, despite knowing it was false.

The court heard that the accused face multiple counts including forgery contrary to Section 345 as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code, making a document without authority under Section 357(a), uttering forged documents, and trespass, among others.

In one of the counts, the prosecution alleges that the duo forged the stamp impression of O.J. CATTWRIGHT a land registrar on a document namely a lease document registered as LR NO.1870/III/417 IR NO.86014… purporting it to be a genuine lease document signed, stamped and issued by O.J. CATTWRIGHT a fact they knew to be false.

Adan faces additional individual charges of uttering forged documents, including a lease document, transfer of lease, and sale agreement, to a police officer, Corporal Omar Fadhila of the land fraud unit at DCI Headquarters, Mazingira Complex, on March 23, 2023. He is also separately charged with trespassing onto the complainants' property in 2019 with intent to annoy them.

After denying the charges, Kigomo pleaded with the court to release him on reasonable bail terms, citing old age and deteriorating health.

"I am elderly and currently suffering from severe chronic diseases that require urgent medical care," the accused told the court through his lawyer.

However, state prosecutor and complainants' lawyer Paul Macharia vehemently opposed the bail application, telling the court that the accused had repeatedly dodged court appearances despite being summoned multiple times.

"The accused was issued court summons on several occasions but was never found. He was eventually arrested. If released on bond, he will abscond. He faces 12 counts of serious offences," the prosecutor told Magistrate Onsarigo.

Magistrate Onsarigo declined to grant bail and instead directed the investigating officer to prepare a probation report before the court can consider granting bail or bond terms.

The court also extended a warrant of arrest against Kigomo's co-accused, Abdisalan Adan Hussein, who is still at large and being sought by DCl detectives

The matter will be mentioned on May 20, 2026, for further directions.