MP Dawood demands Sh3m from family in land ownership dispute

Defendants in a land dispute case involving North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood when they appeared in Meru Law Courts on Friday. (Olivia Murithi, Standard)

North Imenti Member of Parliament Rahim Dawood has accused a family in his constituency of ‘blackmail’ and demanded Sh3 million in protracted land dispute.

Appearing before chief magistrate Hannah Ndung'u at the Meru Law Courts as a witness, the MP said he was the registered owner of the disputed land having acquired it in the year 2005, but had allowed the defendants to use the structures therein.

The MP said before the transfer of ownership, they (parties) agreed that any breach of agreement will result into the aggrieved party being paid the said amount of money.

 “We agreed that any party in breach of the agreement was to pay the aggrieved party Sh3 million as liquidated damages,” he told the court.

He said an agreement between the defendants and himself dated September 8, 2009 stated that they would vacate the land within 90 days upon the signing of agreement.

“The agreed value of the land was Sh3 million. I had paid the defendants Sh20, 000 as stated in the agreement and the balance of Sh2.9 million was to be paid after handing over possession of the premises,” said Dawood, adding that he was ready to clear the balance.

Also testifying in the case, an ex-MCA Kiome Rimbere, said the MP had asked him to help him convince the family to sell the plot, but the family declined.

He said he even took Stephen and Margaret M’Mwitari the defendants to the MP’s office in Makutano where he gave them Sh20, 000 to convince them to sell, but they were not ready to do business.

 “He (Rahim) even proposed that he and the defendants exchange his Gakoromone plot which is bigger than the disputed land, but the defendants were not interested,” said Rimbere.

The disputed piece of land is located at Makutano behind the MP’s Blue Towers Hotel.

The defendants’ lawyer Esther Mwangi said three witnesses had already testified and two more were yet to testify.

The hearing will continue on July 18.