Former Cabinet Minister Raphael Tuju has regained access to his Dari Business Park in Karen after weeks of a 24-hour police barricade.
This follows a court directive allowing him to occupy the property pending the determination of an ongoing dispute.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Tuju said the court order not only granted him occupation but also halted any planned sale or transfer of the contested property.
He confirmed that he would now reside at the premises in compliance with the ruling and called on police officers to stay away from the site.
“After all, they illegally raided my premises, they assaulted me, and they or their masters cannot be my friends. If these are the type of people who claim to be my friends, I would rather be with my enemies,” Tuju said.
The former minister maintained that he would only vacate the property if presented with a valid court order directing him to do so.
“The police should only be on site to enforce court orders, not to be part of a land grab operation. According to the latest court rulings, this is my property. The police cannot come to evict me without a valid court order. If they produce such a court order, I will obey,” he added.
Tuju has been locked in a protracted legal battle over the property, which was allegedly auctioned following claims of default on a Sh1.9 billion loan borrowed from the East African Development Bank (EADB) in 2015.
The initial loan amount was USD 9,197,084 (approximately Sh1.2 billion), with the remainder accruing as interest.
He cited the latest court order, which stated that pending the hearing and determination of this application, there shall be an order preserving the substratum of the dispute, and accordingly, there shall be no sale, transfer, assignment, alienation, charge, lease, disposal, or in any manner whatsoever dealing with the title and/or ownership of the suit property (L.R. No. 11320/3 and L.R. No. 1055/165) until further orders of the Court.
Justice Moses Ado issued the orders on March 18, effectively preserving the status quo until the case is fully heard and determined.
The dispute pits Dari Limited and Tuju against Garam Investment Auctioneers, Knight Frank Valuers Limited, and other respondents over the ownership and control of the prime Karen properties identified as L.R. No. 11320/3 and L.R. No. 1055/165.
