Woman sues over husband's Sh8m demand to vacate house

A woman in Nyeri has sued her estranged husband for demanding Sh8 million to vacate their matrimonial home that she claims she bought with her own money.

Juliet Wangui told the Nyeri High Court that her husband, Francis Ndegwa, evicted her from the house when they separated in 2010.

This is not the first time the couple are involved in a property dispute. They have also fought in a court over the inheritance of their deceased son's property.

The son left behind a house in Nairobi’s Buruburu Estate, cash in three banks, and several commercial vehicles.

In this case, Ms Wangui told the court that she bought the house in 1988 through a purchase scheme offered by her former employer, Barclays Bank.

“After taking a loan of Sh450,000, the bank bought me a house at Asian Quarters near Nyeri Town. And since it was the bank’s policy that the property be registered in joint names for spouses, her husband’s name had to be included,” she said.

Ms Wangui told Justice John Mativo that she is now forced to pay rent to live elsewhere when she has a house she bought with her own money, adding that it took her 18 years to repay the loan.

She told the court that the husband had the audacity to write to her last year demanding the Sh8 million from her so that he could vacate the house.

In the previous case involving their deceased son’s properties, a court gave her the house.

In another case, Ms Wangui's husband was also in trouble with his six sisters over the inheritance of their father’s property.

After the sisters sued him, a court ordered the property to be divided equally among all the siblings.

Ms Wangui’s lawyer, Peter Muthoni, told the court the husband has been stubborn and did not want the house case to continue.

The case was heard in his absence and a judgement will be delivered on September 21.