Kenyan Woman Sues Her 97-Year-Old Mother for Trespassing

A Kirinyaga woman is embroiled in a court battle with her 97-year-old mother over the ownership of a commercial building.

Mary Nguru has sued her mother, Sabena Wairimu, for allegedly trespassing on the property located at Baricho market in Kirinyaga.

She accuses her mother and six siblings of harassing, issuing eviction notices, and inciting her estate tenants to stop making rent payments to her.

Nguru in court papers says she has been paying rates to the Kirinyaga county government as well as water and electricity bills for the property.

She avers that she is the rightful owner of the property and wants the court to restrain the respondents from trespassing on the premises or harassing tenants.

“I stand to suffer irreparable loss and damages if the defendants are not hereby restricted,” Nguru says in an affidavit.

But through lawyer Irene Wanjiru, Wairimu says the building does not belong to Nguru, insisting that she co-owns the property with her late husband Cyprian Kimanjui and has not transferred her shares to anyone.

 “I wish to reiterate that the suit property does not belong to the plaintiff and falls within the estate of my deceased husband, which estate is subject to the process of succession,” Wairimu said.

The case was adjourned after Nguru’s attorney Francis Omenya applied to have it consolidated with a similar case pending in a Kerugoya court.

Senior Principal Magistrate David Ireri allowed the application and ordered that the matter be mentioned on May 11th.