Widow wants President Ruto to intervene in Sh17 billion land tussle

Former Finance Minister Arthur Magugu's widow Margaret Wairimu. [Collins Kweyu, Standard]

Former Finance Minister Arthur Magugu's family is now calling on President William Ruto to intervene in a dispute over an 82-acre land valued at Sh17 billion in Muthaiga North.

Magugu’s widow Margaret Wairimu and the son Steve Njoroge, who is also the family lawyer allege that a foreign company is trying to wrongfully claim the land.

“I am appealing to President William Ruto to help me because years are passing by. I have no one else besides Ruto,” said Wairimu in an interview on Wednesday, August 7.

The family claims the dispute intensified following an August 5 ruling by Justice Lawrence Mugambi that allowed her to join the case on the land dispute.

The judge allowed Mrs Magugu to join Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga and Director of Survey in probing allegedly forged documents relating to the land.

In his ruling, Justice Mugambi agreed with Mrs Magugu’s submissions that DCI and DPP had violated her rights for failing to act on a police complaint she made regarding the land in 2018.

The Director of Survey was faulted for failing to act on recommendations to cancel title deed plans that had allegedly been obtained irregularly.

The fight for the land has also drawn attention from Parliament and the National Land Commission.

Mrs Magugu in the case has accused Karura Investment of illegally subdividing the 82-acre Muthaiga land.

The company is owned by two families: Sobhagyachand Vidhu Shah and Maneklal Rughani, who are also behind Sarit Center and Text Book Centre.

She is represented by JM Kariuki while Karura Investments is represented by Senior Counsel Ahmednassir Abdullahi.

Her plea to President Ruto comes after she claimed the intervention of Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua did not help.

Gachagaua in an interview with vernacular stations on Sunday, August 4, claimed that he had been labelled a tribalist for enquiring about the land tussle.

“82 acres, belonging to the widow of former Minister Arthur Magugu have been stolen and everybody knows the land belonged to him. When I call the DCI, they accuse me of blackmail,” he said.