Loresho land row: Fresh arrest warrant issued against ex-Nairobi PC Davis Chelogoi

A fresh warrant of arrest has been issued against former Nairobi Provincial Commissioner Davis Nathan Chelogoi for failing to attend court.

Chelogoi is also accused of illegally occupying an 8-acre parcel of land in Loresho which the High Court ruled belongs to businessman Ashok Kumar Rupshi, ordering the former PC to surrender the property.

He was charged alongside Andrew Aseri Kirungu with conspiracy to defraud the parcel of land valued at Ksh.1.35 billion.

During the ruling, the court underscored the importance of obeying court orders after an accused person is granted cash bail and ordered to appear in court.

“Court orders are not made in vain. The superior court which binds this particular court had equally pronounced itself and given the first accused person cash bail to cushion his arrest and thus present himself to this court but this has not been taken seriously,” stated the judge.

“In view of the submissions today, both the prosecution counsel and the victim’s counsel have a warrant of arrest against the said accused, and the court equally appreciates the second accused and his counsel.”

Chelogoi has previously been accused of frustrating the businessman despite several court orders that ruled Ashok as the genuine owner of the land.

The protracted land battle dates back to 2019 with High Court case number 312 of 2009, between Ashok Kumar Rupshi, Hitten Kumar and the late Jacob Juma.

With that hurdle out of the way, Ashok sought access to the 8-acre piece of land, but he encountered another hurdle when he was informed of another ownership dispute, that of Chelogoi. When the office of the chief land registrar summoned both parties, Chelogoi was absent.

Magistrate Dolphina Alego has previously issued an arrest warrant after Chelogoi failed to appear in court for plea taking where he was jointly charged alongside Assistant Deputy Director in the Lands Administration Office Andrew Aseri Kirungu.

Kirungu was further charged with fraudulently obtaining a land registration number and abuse of office contrary to section 101 of the Penal Code.