Murang'a tailor gets order to auction two county vehicles
Mr Ndwiga Njagi at his shop at Kabati on July 1, 2019. He was awarded damages after suing Murang'a County for destruction of his property by the defunct City Council of Maragua. PHOTO | NDUNGU GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Ndwiga Njagi filed the suit in 2006 but after a long court battle that lasted 13 years, the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour.
The city council officials were found culpable for raiding his shop, seizing two sewing machines, two bicycles, 45 clothing materials.
The officials were allegedly responding after the tailor spread murram belonging to the county outside his shop.
Misdeeds of the defunct City Council of Maragua have come back to haunt the Murang'a County government after two of its vehicles were confiscated by auctioneers for failing to pay Sh4.4 million awarded by a Thika court to a complainant.
Mr Ndwiga Njagi, a tailor at Kabati trading centre, was awarded the damages by the court after suing the defunct county council for confiscating his tools of trade.
He filed the suit in 2006 but after a long court battle that lasted 13 years, the Court of Appeal ruled in his favour.
One of two vehicles belonging to Muranga County Government which have been impounded by an auctioneer to recover money owed a tailor who sued the defunct Maragua City Council. PHOTO | NDUNG'U GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
The city council officials were found culpable for raiding his shop, seizing two sewing machines, two bicycles, 45 clothing materials.
The officials were aggrieved by the tailor for spreading murram belonging to the council outside his shop.
They first demanded Sh6,000 from Mr Njagi but after he failed to pay up they raided his shop and seized his property.
The second car belonging to Murang'a County seized by an auctioneer over Sh4.4 million owed a tailor from Kabati. PHOTO | NDUNGU GACHANE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
FIRST AWARD
After the court ruled on his favour in 2016, Chief Magistrate F Nyakundi ordered Mr Njagi be paid Sh3.2 million which included the principal amount, interests and suit costs.
The amount rose to Sh4.4 million after the county government failed to effect the court order.
On July 2017, Mr Njagi went back to court and obtained the orders allowing the auctioneer to attach the movable property should the county government fail to pay up the money.
Following the ruling, a vehicle attached to Murang’a County Secretary Patrick Mukuria in which he was travelling in, was seized by the Chandor Auctioneers after he failed to authorise the payment.
The vehicle registration number 21 CG 027A and 21 CG004A were confiscated and taken to the auctioneer’s yard in Thika town.
'DIALOGUE'
According to Mr Njagi, his efforts to approach the county government have yielded no fruits, claiming Mr Mukuria had invited him on several occasions for dialogue to no avail.
“I have taken tea in his office for about three times, the last time I went he proposed that I be paid Sh750,000 but I stood my ground and told him that we shall follow the court’s judgment. I have used over Sh1.5 million to pay for the lawyer and the county council seized my items.
“My wife divorced me after they took away my property and what I got I used to settle for the legal services,” the 72-year-old man told the Nation.
