ELDORET, Kenya – An Eldoret court has summoned Kenya’s Principal Registrar of Persons to resolve a puzzling dispute involving two conflicting death certificates in a 30-acre land ownership case in Uasin Gishu County.
Justice Robert Wananda directed the senior government official to appear in court on July 21 without fail to clarify the true ownership of the prime parcel of land, valued at approximately Ksh. 30 million.
The dispute pits two families against each other, each claiming that their deceased relative was the rightful owner of the agricultural land in Kaptagat settlement scheme, Ainabkoi Sub-County.
At the heart of the case is a glaring inconsistency: one family claims the land belonged to the late Philip Cherono, who allegedly died in 1976.
Meanwhile, the opposing family insists it was owned by the late Paul Kibet Cherono, who they say passed away in 1997.
Both families have produced death certificates bearing different names and death dates, deepening the mystery surrounding the property’s true ownership.
The family of Philip Cherono, led by his eldest son Clady Cheruiyot, presented a death certificate showing that their father died nearly five decades ago.
On the other hand, Abraham Chebii, a senior driver with the Judicial Service Commission and a representative of the opposing family, submitted a separate document indicating that his father, Paul Cherono, died in 1997.
The case has dragged on in court for years, with each family holding onto its claim.
The conflicting documents have now forced the court to call upon the Principal Registrar of Persons to verify their authenticity and determine who the original owner of the disputed land was.
Justice Wananda’s directive signals a crucial turning point in the case, as the court seeks to untangle a legal quagmire that could have far-reaching implications for land ownership disputes in the region.
The ruling on the matter could set a precedent for similar cases where multiple claimants present contradictory official records.
