A former lands registrar at Ardhi House has
disowned a signature on a lease for a plot of land in Donholm valued at Sh944
million that is being claimed by members of a self-help group.

On Wednesday, Ms Rosemary Ngong’a told
Milimani chief magistrate Wendy Kagendo that the signature on the alleged lease
certificate issued to the Sowesava Self-help group was a forgery.

She went on to say that she couldn’t recall
ever giving the self-help group a name.

“I can categorically state that the
title I was shown is a forgery and did not come from the Lands office,”
she said.

“In addition, I can state that a
self-help group is not a legal entity that can be given a title.” The
names of the trustees should appear on the title according to procedure,”
she pondered.

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The former lands official was giving
testimony in a case in which four members of an Embakasi self-help group were
accused of conspiring to defraud a company of its land.

Former Kayole chief Alexander Hoops
Shihemi, Patrobas Odoyo Awino, Peter Njoroge Kanika, and Peter Gitau Muiruri
are also charged with forgery and making a false lease and title deed on three
other counts.

They are members of the Sowesava self-help
group, which forged an allotment letter, lease, and title deed for a parcel of
land measuring 11.8 acres located in Nairobi’s Donholm neighborhood and owned
by Gidjoy Investment Ltd.

Yet another eyewitness Ng’arwa Kamunya also
claimed that his signature as an advocate on the lease was a forgery. The
lawyer stated that he has no recollection of dealing with the self-help group
in question.

The defendants were also charged with
conspiring to defraud Gidjoy Investments Limited by falsely claiming to have a
genuine title issued and signed by Ms Ngong’a on November 28, 2001.

The hearing is still going on.

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