Court blocks Sh250m improvement works on Nyeri stadium
Ms Carol Miano demonstrates how to light up a Rocket Jiko made from bricks and soil at an Agricultural Society (ASK) show in Nyeri in 2012. FILE PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Court stops Sports Kenya and the Nyeri County government from doing improvement works on the Ruring’u Stadium at a cost of Sh250 million.
Lady Justice Lucy Waithaka directs the two parties not to encroach into the stadium, which is owned by the Agricultural Societies of Kenya (ASK).
Sports Kenya says it is mandated to modernise the stadium for purposes of improving the sporting activities not only in Nyeri but throughout the country.
The High Court has stopped Sports Kenya and the Nyeri County government from doing improvement works on the Ruring’u Stadium at a cost of Sh250 million.
Lady Justice Lucy Waithaka directed the two parties not to encroach into the stadium, which is owned by the Agricultural Societies of Kenya (ASK).
ASK lawyer Ben Millimo told the judge the planned improvements would completely change the stadium making it difficult for farmers and entrepreneurs to display their commodities during the annual agricultural shows.
Certifying the case filed by Mr Millimo as urgent, the judge said the serious dispute needs to determined expeditiously in the interest of justice.
Sports Kenya says it is mandated to modernise the stadium for purposes of improving the sporting activities not only in Nyeri but throughout the country.
Agricultural shows
But ACK, through Mr Millimo, says the stadium provides an opportunity to farmers to display their agricultural activities and display their livestock at the stadium during the week-long shows.
The lawyer urged the judge to order the agents, servants and all officers of Sports Kenya to move out of the stadium and refrain from developing the property where farmers usually have an opportunity to improve their skills in agriculture and livestock.
The Registered Trustee of ASK, through its chief executive officer Mr Batram Muthoka Mutinda, says officers and or agents of Sports Kenya and Nyeri County invaded the stadium on February 1, 2017 then violently evicted its tenants from the stadium.
ASK is the legally registered owner of the stadium.
“Without any colour of right and in total disregard to the land laws and property rights, Sports Kenya and Nyeri County purported to acquire, grab and or physically take over the ACK grounds,” Mr Millimo told Justice Waithaka.
He added that agents of Sports Kenya and Nyeri County officials forcefully and violently broke into the property and threatened to kick out tenants.
Simmering dispute
The court heard that there were attempts to resolve the simmering dispute which yielded no fruits.
Justice Waithaka heard that there was a move to have a joint venture settled amongst the parties but one side reneged.
The judge directed Mr Millimo to serve the suit documents to the defendants (Sports-Kenya and Nyeri County) with the suit papers until February 22 when the case will be heard.
