Malindi billionaire charged over Sh667 million property fire

Billionnaire Franco Esposito and Elly Esposito when they appeared before Malindi Law Courts on July 6, 2026. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

A Malindi-based Kenyan billionaire of Italian origin, Franco Esposito, was arraigned in court on Monday for setting on fire a Sh667 million property.

Mr Esposito, who is also known as Kasoso Wa Baya, and Elly Esposwere, was accused of burning Duma Villa Complex and neighbouring property.

They were charged that on May 25, 2026, at the Siro land area in Malindi sub-county, Kilifi County, they did not take precautions against probable danger by starting an open fire and failing to contain it, causing damage and destruction of property belonging to Nagia Dahman, owner of Duna Villa, valued at Sh667 million.

The two who appeared before Malindi magistrate Eve Odhiambo were granted a Sh300,000 bond each and ordered to deposit their passports in court.

The case will come up for mention on July 23 and hearing on July 30. Ms Dahmani was represented in court by lawyer Cecil Miller.

Esposito, who formerly headed the St Marco space centre at Ngomeni in Malindi, has twice successfully contested the Magarini parliamentary seat in Kilifi County.

The fire destroyed property and allegedly posed a significant danger to residents living in the luxurious villa.

According to court documents, Duma Villa is owned by Nagia Dahmani, also an Italian who invested in the property since its construction began in 2011.

In her statement to the police, Dahmani said she has since written two formal letters to Esposito dated May 16, 2019, and November 20, 2019, informing him that fires he was lighting on his plot presented a “significant danger” to the adjacent Makuti-thatched villas.

She had urged Esposito to put in place measures to prevent the spread of fire. Dahmani alleges that Esposito never replied to the letters.  

“I was so furious since I lost that property, and I had warned my neighbour, and I feel he didn’t take the necessary caution and care to prevent the fire,” he stated.

The fire consumed Duma Villa before it spread to Fabian House, a Makuti-thatched property with 10 rooms, according to Abdulrazak Karim.

Karim, the manager of Fabiana House, reported damage estimated at Sh30 million.

He said that they tried to cut down a burning coconut tree to create a firebreak but had to abandon it when they realised one of the Duma houses was already alight. They evacuated what they could.

Businessman John Kamau Mwangi was contacted by Dahmani and went to Malindi Police Station to report the matter on OB 11/27/05/2026.

Police officers from Malindi later visited the scene, documented it, and took possession of photos and videos captured by witnesses on their mobile phones during the incident.