The famous Kenyan athlete Eliud Kipchogetwo-time Olympic marathon champion, and four other people have been sued for allegedly buying land worth 100 million shillings (about 707,000 euros) without the owner’s consent in the city of Eldoretin western Kenya, training ground for the country’s best runners.
Joyce Komenprofessor at Moi University in Eldoret and wife of a former athlete Daniel Komendenounced his own wife, Kipchoge and the elite runner Brimin Kipruto for the sale and purchase of this matrimonial property, local media reported this Thursday.
Farmers and cereal traders were also charged. Felex Kipchoge Lagat and Peter Kipsegei Lagat.
Komen accused his wife of selling land of about 200 hectares (about 81 acres) to others involved between 2011 and 2012 without his consent, despite the fact that the couple bought it in equal part, although the former athlete is listed as the owner.
“I also learned with surprise that the property was sold for only 10 million shillings (about 70,700 euros), which represents only 10% of the real value of the land,” Komen declared on Wednesday through his lawyer , Patrick Kibii, in an Eldoret court, took the local newspaper ‘Daily Nation’.
Daniel Komen’s wife assured that he had not informed her of his intention to sell it.
“I took out several loans to finance the purchase and development of the property, which was the only family home when I married (Daniel) Komen at a time when he had no one to call home,” the complainant added.
Joyce, who married Komen in 1998 and has three children with him, contends that the sale was made with fraud and deceit, and without the approval of the Land Control Board.
The woman appealed to the five questions included in the Constitution on which the justice had to decide.
Among them, if she has the right as the wife of Daniel Komen to participate in a transaction affecting the family property and to have an equal share of the land, even though the ownership belongs to her husband.
In his response, Komen denied that the land belonged to both of them and said that he was the sole owner.
“It is true that together we requested a loan of 6 million shillings (about 42,400 euros) to pay the remaining balance of the purchase price of the property,” admitted the former broker, who asked his wife to resolve the matter outside of the court.
According to his story, he sold the property and said he did it with the consent of his wife, and Kipchoge and Kipruto bought 120 hectares together, and the aforementioned grain traders took 70.
After Komen informed them that it had land for sale, the buyers struck a deal on October 4, 2011, when they acquired the property for Sh10 million, Kipchoge responded in his affidavit.
“We did due diligence after confirming that the land in question was indeed registered in his name,” insisted Kipchoge, known as the “marathon king,” who described himself as a “mere buyer” who “has no aware of any dispute.” between Komen and his wife.
The judge in the case, Reuben Nyakundi, summoned the parties to appear in court next Monday.
Source: La Verdad
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