Deputy Mayor’s house wont be sold

By Vincent Bartoo

The High Court has stopped the planned sale of the Eldoret deputy mayor’s official residence.

This comes barely 15 days after the same court reclaimed the Mayor’s residence that had been grabbed.

Both residences are located at the plush Elgon View estate in Eldoret town.

The Deputy Mayor’s house was set to be auctioned by the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) through Garam Investments, after its former Managing Director, Dr Linus Cheruiyot, acquired it fraudulently and charged it to the oil firm.

Cheruiyot allegedly secured a Sh6 million loan using the land as security.

The council, through lawyer Paul Gicheru, said it was taken by surprise when they saw a notice advertising the sale of the property by public auction.

The council sued Cheruiyot, KPC and Garam Investments and tabled proof of ownership by way of a title deed dated April 30, 1979.

Gicheru also showed the court a letter from the Commissioner of Lands nullifying an allotment letter that irregularly leased out the land.

It is on the basis of this letter that Cheruiyot is alleged to have secured the loan and charged it on KPC with the said land as security.

Eldoret High Court Judge, Lady Justice Philomena Mwilu, stopped the sale after the council successfully sought an injunction.

Two weeks ago, Eldoret Resident Judge Mohammed Ibrahim, threw out an application by a businessman claiming ownership of the Mayor’s house and reverted it to the council.