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Mwangi Njangu Vs. Meshack Mbogo Wambugu Civil Appeal No. 239 Of 1990

Background of the Suit

Our Client was the Appellant herein Mwangi Njagu. On or around 9^th February 1976, our Client entered into a sale agreement with one Sophia Nyakweya in which it was agreed that the our Client would sell One (1) acre out of all that piece of land known as L.R. NO. KONYU/BARICHO/695 for a consideration of Kenya Shillings Fourteen Thousand (Kshs.14,000/-). The said Sophia Nyakweya paid our Client the sum of Kenya Shillings Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (Kshs.12, 500/-) and a balance of Kenya Shillings One Thousand Five Hundred (Kshs.1, 500/-) remained. An application for the land control board consent was submitted but was not obtained. Our Client through his then Advocates one Messers Ghadialy & Co. Advocates informed Sophia Nyakweya of the same through a letter dated 29^th August 1979 and further notified her that our Client was rescinding the sale agreement because the land board consent was not obtained.

Our Client then refunded the Kenya Shillings Twelve Thousand Five Hundred (Kshs.12,500/-) to Sophia Nyakweya. The said amount was refunded through a cheque and letter dated 5^th November 1979, forwarded through the our Client’s Advocate Messers Ghadialy & Co. Advocates to the Respondent’s then Advocates one Messers A.J. Kariuki & Co. Advocates.

The sale agreement dated 9^th February 1976 was executed between our Client and Sophia Nyakweya and the Respondent was never privy to the same. He was a stranger to the agreement and the fact that he is the husband to Sophia Nyakweya did not legitimize his fraudulent claim.

A dispute ensued and when the Respondent instituted a suit against our Client before a panel of elders and arbitrator, they made an award in favour of the Respondent, ordering for the sub-division of our Client’s land into two portions of One (1) acre for the Respondent and Four and a half (4.5) acres for our Client.  The Respondent later filed civil suit no. 214/80 in Nyeri, where he sought orders for specific performance. Our Client instructed Messers Ghadialy & Co. Advocates to represent him in the matter and he filed a memorandum of appearance but failed to file a defence. The matter proceeded without the our Client’s knowledge and Messers Ghadialy & Co. Advocates neglected and/or refused to participate in the proceedings and an ex-parte judgment was issued against our Client and being dissatisfied with the same, he filed this present appeal.

Issue for Determination

Our issues for determination were:-

1. Whether the Respondent was privy to the sale agreement dated 9^th February 1976.
2. Whether the lack of consent from the land control board nullified the sale agreement dated 9^th February 1976.
3. Whether the mistake of Ghadialy & Co. Advocates should be visited upon the Appellant.

On 15^th February 2018, a judgment was issued by Honourable Justice Mbogholi Msagha, where our appeal was allowed and the decision of the Chief Magistrate’s Court was set aside. Find herein attached the summary of C.A. NO. 239/90 – Mwaniki Mbogo Wambugu Vs. Meshack Mbogo Wambugu. We represented the Appellant therein and the Judgment was delivered on 15^th February, 2018 by Hon. Justice Mbogholi Msagha in which our Appeal was allowed. Our Clients were very grateful for the assistance that Kituo has accorded them in a matter they first started pursuing in 1990. We Care for Justice.

RCKM

Kituo Cha Sheria