Court has ordered businessman Mukesh Kumar Kanthilal Patel to appear before a Kericho judge for sentencing after he was found guilty of contempt of court.
Justice Mary Oundo ruled that it was evident that Patel had disobeyed a court order directing him to vacate a property in Sotik town.
The Judge noted that the businessman had mobilised youth in Sotik to block the police from evicting him from the property, actions she described as scandalous, tactics to frustrate its owner, Charles Langat.
“To date, the respondent is still in possession of the suit premises and has been, regrettably employing despicable tactful means, as above stated, to deny the applicant his fruit of the judgement,” the Judge said.
The two have been fighting over suit property since 2017 when Patel sued over ownership. Patel had alleged to have been in possession of the property since 2001, saying he bought it from Shigali, the then KCB Sotik branch manager in 2009.
He said he had constructed an additional three bedroomed house on the property and had enjoyed quiet possession and exclusive use of the same until 2012, when Langat, a former KCB bank employee, claimed to be the owner and started demanding rent from him.
The High Court ruled that Patel’s title deed was the genuine one and went ahead to cancel Langat’s. However, he moved to the Court of Appeal and managed to overturn the High Court decision.
On his part, Langat said he purchased the property from the lender through an auction.
He told the court that he was not able to pay the full amount but he was loaned sh 1.1 million which was the balance by Shigali the then branch manager, and paid Sh 1.75 million to acquire the property.
Langat added that he later refunded Shigali his money and completed paying KCB in July 2011 and thereafter obtained a title deed for the property in 2014.
