[2020] KEELC 775 (KLR)

[2020] KEELC 775 (KLR)

The court found that the 2nd to 38th Defendants had been in open, continuous, and exclusive possession of Machakos Town Block II/221 since 1970, paying licence fees to the local authority and not to the 1st Defendant. The 1st Defendant was registered as proprietor in 1974, but did not object to or interrupt the...

Source-derived case information.

Citation
[2020] KEELC 775 (KLR)
Parties
Plaintiff: Argos Furnishers Limited; Defendant: Samuel Musila; Defendant: 2nd to 38th Defendants (names not individually listed)
Court
Environment and Land Court
Court Station
Environment and Land Court at Machakos
Jurisdiction
Kenya
Case Number
Environment & Land Case 15 of 2003
Procedural Posture
Land and Property Suit / Judgment
Outcome
Plaintiff's suit dismissed; Defendants' counter-claim allowed.
Judges
OA Angote
Legal Topics
Adverse Possession, Title Registration, Limitation of Actions, Injunctions, Land Allocation, Proprietary Rights
Source Language
en
Land and Property Civil Procedure Adverse Possession Title Registration Limitation of Actions Injunctions Land Allocation Proprietary Rights

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Parties

Argos Furnishers Limited

Plaintiff

Samuel Musila

Defendant

2nd to 38th Defendants (names not individually listed)

Defendant

Procedural Posture

Land and Property Suit / Judgment

  1. 1 Whether the 2nd to 38th Defendants have acquired title to Machakos Town Block II/221 by adverse possession.
  2. 2 Whether the Plaintiff is entitled to orders for removal of kiosks, injunction, damages for trespass, and costs.
  3. 3 Whether the Plaintiff's title is subject to the Defendants' prescriptive rights under the Limitation of Actions Act.

Ratio Decidendi

The court found that the 2nd to 38th Defendants had been in open, continuous, and exclusive possession of Machakos Town Block II/221 since 1970, paying licence fees to the local authority and not to the 1st Defendant. The 1st Defendant was registered as proprietor in 1974, but did not object to or interrupt the Defendants' occupation until 1997, by which time more than twelve years had elapsed. The Defendants' possession was nec vi, nec clam, nec precario, and their rights under adverse possession had crystallized before the Plaintiff's acquisition in 1997. The Plaintiff, aware of the Defendants' occupation, could not claim to be a bona fide purchaser without notice. The Plaintiff's title...

Court Disposition

Plaintiff's suit dismissed; Defendants' counter-claim allowed.

Orders

  • Declaration that the 2nd to 38th Defendants have acquired title to Machakos Town Block II/221 by adverse possession.
  • Plaintiff's name to be cancelled from the register for Machakos Town Block II/221; land to be registered in the names of the 2nd to 38th Defendants or their representatives.