Irigithathi estate on the spot
The Mountain
Journal team in Kangema
The plight
of elderly persons losing their shares of land through the alleged fraudulent
process has been on the rise in Murang’a county.
The members
of the Kangema Farmland Company founded in the 1970’s by the late John Njoroge
Michuki an investment to unite his constituents have reported losing their
shares in the fraudulent means.
Purchase of shares from the elderly persons has been the sole business in villages in Kangema and Mathioya, where the middle men are armed with a copy of the company register to help locate them.
More than
70 people have launched complaints with the office seeking nullification of the
transfers, saying their parents were hoodwinked to enter into the consent.
Several have revealed how their parents were offered hundreds of
shillings by people visiting them in their homes purporting to be the officials
of the company.
More
than 1,000 acres of land belonging to the members is located next to the
prestigious Thika Greens Estate where a parcel measuring 100 by 100 is trading
at between seven million and 10 million.
Peter Kiori
of Rwathia village says the elderly were forced to transfer after the farm
management demanded Sh25,000 per share, follow a decision by the members to
subdivide the land amongst themselves.
At the start, a share was trading at Sh500,
before the price short up after the members held a meeting at the farm, that
neighbours the rich backyard of Thika town.
“Lack of
finances opened the fraudulent flood gates where the rogue middlemen accessed
the register and embarked on looking for members owing them with money,” said
Kiori.
Mary Njambi said her mother last year rejected
attempts by middlemen from Kangema town who had shown interest in her three
shares.
“Since she
is bedridden the team arrived and tried to lure her with money to append her
signature and insisted her children should be present,” said Njambi.
Jeremiah
Gichuhi recounts how his father John Kibe was forced to sign documents by unknown people who called him in his Kambara home in Gitugi, Mathioya, leaving behind
Sh600,000.
“We later
followed the matter and learned it was a fraudulent process and managed to
effect the cancellation of the transfer,” said Gichuhi.
The
Sh600,000, he added, was in the family custody, as those who gave it have failed
to reclaim and matters reported to the police.
There
are families which have sought the intervention of the directorate of criminal
investigations to stop the transfer of the shares from Mzee Kibe’s family.
Gichuhi has
instituted civil proceedings against Kangema Farmland, Hezekiah Mwaura, Esther
Wanjiru, Margaret Wairimu, and Phyllis Nyambura through forgery which will be
heard on April 7, before Senior Principal Magistrate Peter Kiama.
But
Chairman of the company Mr Mukuha Kabutha admits the management receives
complaints from the members weekly.
Speaking to
The Standard, he advised the members to be aware of individuals purporting to
effect transfers of the shares outside the office.
“We have
canceled a number of the transfers after it was established the due process was
not followed. The directors must append their signatures in the transfer forms
as proof of transparency,” said Kabutha.
After the demise of
Michuki, the members resolved to share the land following the reduced dividends
from the coffee farming.
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