Former Cabinet Secretary for Gender Aisha Jumwa
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Former Cabinet Secretary for Gender Aisha Jumwa finds herself at the centre of a legal controversy surrounding a Sh250 million house purchase from last year.
The dispute has escalated to the courts with Bejav Furniture Limited seeking to compel Jumwa to pay Sh60 million, a portion of the agreed purchase price. Initially, the case aimed to have Jumwa declared bankrupt, but it has since been referred for mediation. The genesis of this dispute can be traced back to four months after Jumwa's appointment as Cabinet Secretary when she approached Roselyn Wambui to purchase her house. The property, initially valued at Sh250 million, saw its price reduced to Sh215 million following negotiations.
Wambui instructed her advocate to draft a sale agreement, which was subsequently sent to Jumwa's legal representatives on February 25, 2023. Complications arose when it became apparent that Jumwa could only secure financing of Sh145 million from Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB). This development led to a proposal from Jumwa's advocate for two separate agreements: one for the banks' benefit and a supplement to cover the additional agreed amount not covered by the financing.
The situation was further complicated by the presence of decorations and furnishings in the house, which Wambui claimed she was supposed to remove but did not. According to Wambui, the addendum agreement between her and Jumwa addressed this issue. Consequently, the total amount Jumwa was expected to pay increased from Sh60 million to Sh70 million to cover the deficit. Jumwa reportedly paid Sh10 million and committed to paying the remaining Sh60 million within 12 months. Wambui asserts that she transferred ownership of the house to Jumwa, with the property being registered as collateral for the KCB loan.
Despite attempts by Wambui's lawyers to contact Jumwa regarding the outstanding balance, no response was received. Wambui contends that Jumwa should have explained if the balance was not payable. In response to the legal action, Jumwa is seeking to have the case dismissed on jurisdictional grounds. Her legal team argues that the contract between the parties stipulated that any disputes would be resolved through arbitration rather than through the courts.
Hopefully she can find a buyer for the house quickly otherwise she will be quickly declared bankrupt.