Former Eldoret East legislator Joseph Lagat risks being committed to civil jail for a term of 6 months for contempt of court.
This is after an Eldoret-based real estate developer Duncan Kitur made an applicant sought for a summon to be issued against the former lawmaker to appear before the Eldoret High Court to give reasons why he should not be committed to civil jail.
The summon was issued against Lagat after he defied a court order that had barred him from interfering with the applicant’s Ksh.30 million property situated in Chepkanga area along the Eldoret-Iten highway in Uasin Gishu County.
The businessman had sued Lagat after he reportedly moved into the land and started ploughing it with a tractor ready to plant crops despite the existence of a court order barring him from doing so.
However, Lagat argues that he is the legal owner of the property in dispute which he said he has owned for the past two decades.
Kitur claims that Lagat evicted him from his land despite the fact that he has the title deed for the property whereas he (Lagat) has nothing to show that it belongs to him.
The 3-acres prime piece of land has been at the centre of ownership dispute between Kitur and Lagat for over five years.
Kitur has sued Lagat for frustrating his efforts to take over his property. He has faulted Lagat for ploughing the land despite a court order that blocked him from carrying out any agricultural activities on the property until the matter pending in court is heard and determined.
The Court order signed by the then Lands and Environment Judge, Justice Millicent Odeny on March 14,2018 stated in part,” In the meantime, the status quo to be maintained that the plaintiff/applicant to remain in possession and no felling of trees or construction of any kind before the hearing date.”
The former MP is set to appear before Justice Elijah Obaga for cross-examination on his affidavit filed before the court.
The matter will come up for hearing on January 13, 2023.
