- After finding a buyer, she started the process of transferring the land, before a caution was placed, bringing all her plans to a halt
- The caution was placed on June 16 by GR and MN who claimed proprietary interest
Image: Alice Waithera
Monicah Kerubo has always wanted to own land in Murang’a county.
This is because she saw many land companies advertise the county, which is only 55km away from Nairobi, as a peaceful haven.
In 2010, when one company announced that it was selling land in Mitubiri, Kerubo grabbed the opportunity.
After visiting the site, she bought 0.19 acres and went back to her home in Nairobi. She would visit the land once in a while amid many cases of land theft countrywide.
Last year, however, Kerubo decided to sell the land to raise money for another project.
After finding a buyer, she started the process of transferring the land, before a caution was placed, bringing all her plans to a halt.
The caution was placed on June 16 by GR and MN who claimed proprietary interest.
The move started what Kerubo describes as a tiring and heartbreaking journey.
This is despite the fact that she was in possession of a title deed processed in January 2011.
Documents seen by The Star show that Kerubo wrote to the lands registrar on June 26 seeking an explanation.
She attached all her ownership documents on the letter.
On October 3 last year, Kerubo received a letter from the land registrar to appear for a hearing with GR and MN.
The registrar asked her to present all documents in her possession.
“We went to the lands office on October 29 last year and we all presented our cases. After long arguments, I presented my documents, which were verified by the seller and lands registry,” she told the Star.
The complainants presented documents for land No.7146, which is different from her land number which is No. 7149.
They said they paid more for their land hence the caution on Kerubo's land.
The complainants also opposed Kerubo's request to have the team visit the land.
In February, Kerubo wrote to the registrar to have the caution removed and in May, the registrar notified the cautioner that the caution would be removed in 14 days unless he submits an objection.
A search at the land registry on July 9 indicated that the land was still in Kerubo's name and the caution was still on.
“These persons are unknown to me and my family. I just know that they bought land in the same area but I don’t know why they would be interested in mine. The two lands are not even next to each other," she said.
Kerubo now wants the issue resolved to allow her to transact her land and move on with her life.
Several attempts to reach out to the cautioners were unsuccessful as phone calls and text messages went unanswered.
In July, Lands Ministry rolled out ArdhiSasa digital platform at the Murang’a registry to end cases of land fraud.
The platform allows land owners to open an account that only they can operate and send a One-Time Password viable for a few minutes to the mobile phone number of a land owner.
Local leaders complained over incidents of parcels of land being allocated to several people, all with properly stamped title deeds.