Former presidential advisor on political affairs, Davis Nathan Chelogoi, has strongly defended himself in court against allegations of fraud in a heated land dispute involving a prime 7.89-hectare parcel in Nairobi.
Appearing before a Nairobi court, the 72-year-old ex-administrator insisted that his documents of ownership were genuine, lawfully acquired, and validated by senior Ministry of Lands officials, dismissing the accusations as a deliberate scheme to strip him of his property.
Land at the Center of Dispute
The contested parcel, measuring 7.89 hectares, has been the subject of multiple legal applications and counterclaims. According to the charge sheet, Chelogoi and others are accused of conspiring to defraud the complainant of the land.
But Chelogoi maintains that he legitimately acquired the property on January 31, 1995, while serving as a District Commissioner. He told the court he paid KSh 2.48 million in premium to the Ministry of Lands and was personally shown the land by the Commissioner of Lands before taking possession.
“I lawfully purchased this land, and I have never been evicted from it,” he testified.
Documents and Validation by Ministry Officials
Chelogoi explained that he only began formalizing ownership decades later. In December 2020, he initiated the process of obtaining a title. By March 2021, he had secured an allotment letter and a certificate of lease.
These documents, he said, were verified and validated by senior Ministry officials, including registrar Charles K. Ngetich, who testified in court confirming the authenticity of the signatures and seals.
Further validation came from the Principal Secretary for Lands in November 2023, who confirmed that Chelogoi’s payment receipt was legitimate after it was questioned by investigators.
Multiple Attempts to Evict Him Rejected by Courts
According to Chelogoi, his troubles began in July 2022 when strangers, accompanied by the complainant and police officers, entered the property while he was away. They reportedly relied on a judgment to justify their presence.
Since then, the complainant has filed at least five eviction applications at the Environment and Land Court, the most recent on September 13, 2023. However, all were dismissed, leaving Chelogoi in continuous possession of the land.
“No eviction order has ever been issued against me,” Chelogoi told the court.
Rebutting Allegations of Forgery and Fraud
Among the charges is an accusation that Chelogoi falsified the signature of Pauline Pesa, a senior lands officer. He has denied the claim, pointing out that registrar Charles Ngetich, not Pesa, signed and registered the disputed documents.
He further argued that the prosecution failed to produce signature templates or expert handwriting analysis to support the forgery allegations.
Chelogoi is also charged with uttering a false certificate of title when he surrendered documents to investigators. But he insists the allotment letter, lease, and title deed were all officially issued by the Ministry of Lands.
Defence Backed by Witness Testimonies
Chelogoi’s defense has been supported by several witnesses, including:
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Peter Njoki Mutua, a ministry official who confirmed verifying Chelogoi’s payment receipt.
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Registrar Charles K. Ngetich, who testified that the signatures on the documents were authentic.
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The Principal Secretary for Lands, who later reaffirmed the legitimacy of the payment receipt.
His co-accused, represented by lawyer Simon Mburu, also denied the charges, describing them as malicious and unsupported by evidence.
“A Plot to Dispossess Me”
Chelogoi, visibly emotional during the hearing, described the case as a “bombshell” that had shattered his social standing and personal life.
“I served this country with integrity,” he said. “At my age, I should not be dragged into endless battles over land that I acquired almost three decades ago.”
The former presidential advisor argued that the case was a calculated effort to discredit him and dispossess him of valuable land in Nairobi.
What’s Next
The hearing continues tomorrow, with Chelogoi expected to maintain his stand that his title documents were legally obtained and that the case against him is politically and financially motivated.
Meanwhile, the court is under pressure to carefully weigh conflicting testimonies from ministry officials, investigators, and the complainant, as the matter touches not only on property rights but also on public confidence in Kenya’s land registry system—a system long plagued by corruption, double allocations, and fraudulent titles.