Kin faked my death to steal land, says woman

Seventy-year-old Mary Wairimu Weru during an interview with the Nation in Mukurwe-ini on August 13. PHOTO | JOSEPH KANYI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • 70-year-old says wrangles started after her brother and mother died.
  • Sister-in-law accused of obtaining title fraudulently.

A 70-year-old woman has accused a relative and some corrupt officials of faking her death to steal her land.

Ms Mary Wairimu Weru from Mukurwe-ini in Nyeri County said she urgently needs a roof over her head.

She sought refuge at her neighbour’s house, where she has been living for the past three months after she was evicted from her land by her brother’s wife.

“Each time I try to get into my compound, I find some young men manning the gate. They keep saying I do not own the land,” said Ms Weru.

The family has been entangled in a protracted land dispute from 1975, when Ms Weru’s father died. Since she stayed at the rural home, her parents gave her permission to use the land.

She said her brother, Mr Michael Ndung’u, and his wife stayed in Nairobi and rarely showed interest in the land.

Her brother died in 2003 and her mother in 2005. The wrangles started after the deaths.

WENT TO COURT

According to documents from the Mukurwe-ini land tribunal that heard the matter, her brother’s wife, Mrs Pauline Ndung’u, went to court and was given letters of administration. This was after Mrs Ndung’u produced a letter indicating that Ms Weru was dead. Mrs Ndung’u then obtained a title deed for the property.

In 2006, Mrs Ndung’u brought the title deed and sought to evict Ms Weru from the family land.

When the Nation contacted Ms Ndung’u, she refused to comment on the letters.

“I will not talk about that issue. If she (Ms Weru) showed you such documents, what do you want me to say?” she asked.

Ms Weru filed a case at the land tribunal seeking the subdivision of the land into two. In her papers, she said since she was not married and had lived on her father’s land, she had a right to own half of the property.

The tribunal was told that Mrs Ndung’u had given false information to acquire the letters of administration of the family land.

It was also discovered that she obtained a certificate purporting that Ms Weru had died. The document was dated April 19, 2005.

In a letter, Mrs Ndung’u claimed that she is the only member of the family alive.

In August 2007, the tribunal ruled that Ms Weru and Mrs Ndung’u should be allocated 2.4 acres each.

But Mrs Ndung’u promised to give Ms Weru only one acre. She is yet to fulfil the pledge.

Mukurwe-ini police boss Beatrice Kamoning said she received the complaints from Ms Weru and officers had stepped in to ensure her safety.

“I also have information that the lands surveyor will be visiting the disputed property for purpose of sub-division,” she said.