Prominent Kenyans rush to court to stop auctioneers’ gavel

In life, nothing is certain except death and taxes. But during an economic downturn what is more certain is debt and auctions.

Former Marakwet West MP, David Sudi, is fighting to save his property on Joseph Kang'ethe Road in Nairobi over a Sh25 million debt.

The MP said he has been trying to negotiate with Simple Pay Credit to pay Sh20 million arrears but the lenders have turned down the offer.

Retired African Inland Church Bishop Silas Yego rushed to court to save his 50 high-end apartments in Kileleshwa from being sold over Sh145 million owed to Transnational Bank.

Mr Yego, 71, retired from the church after serving for 45 years and was close to the late President Daniel Arap Moi who linked him with Transnational Bank before its sale to Nigeria’s Access Bank.

William Osewe Guda of Ranalo Foods popularly known as K’Osewe, has also pitched camp in the courts seeking to stop GT Bank from auctioning his assets over a Sh330 million loan.

Mr Guda, obtained an order from the Court of Appeal, putting on hold plans to sell a stalled four-star hotel in Kisumu and apartment in Nairobi’s South C, pending the hearing of his case.

White Rhino Hotel owners, Cedarwood Hotels and Resorts Investments Company have also been fighting to stop its planned auction.

In a notice in the dailies on May 16, the auctioneers said the hotel, sitting on a three-acre parcel of land, had outstanding land rates of Sh1.2 million as of July 2021.

Auctioneers have been putting up for sale, a hotel belonging to former minister Gideon Ndambuki to recover a loan of Sh80 million owed to Housing Finance.

Mr Ndambuki, who served as Kaiti MP and a minister for Planning and National Development during President Daniel Moi’s regime, has made several attempts to ward off the auctioneers.

Mr Hosea Kiplagat is yet another prominent personality who fought off auctioneers trying to sell his property over a loan of Sh375 million.