Nairobi — Former Cabinet Secretary Raphael Tuju's Dari property in Karen was sold at a public auction in October 2024 for Sh450 million, according to court papers.
The new owner, Ultra Eureka Limited, has already taken possession after a dramatic weekend eviction that sparked public outrage.
The eviction, which unfolded in the presence of armed police officers, sparked public outrage as several political leaders were seen at the scene consoling Tuju and attempting, unsuccessfully, to stop the process.
However, latest filings before the High Court indicate that the takeover is tied to an ongoing court battle over property that Ultra Eureka says it lawfully acquired through a chargee sale.
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In a replying affidavit filed in the High Court's Commercial Division, Ultra Eureka director Jackson Kiplimo Chebett said the company purchased the property, identified as L.R No. 1055/165, now Nairobi/Block 47/1399, from the East African Development Bank (EADB) through a public auction conducted on October 1, 2024.
The property comprises Tamarind Karen and Dari Business Park off Ngong Road in Karen.
According to the affidavit, the auction was advertised in the newspapers and Ultra Eureka's bid of Sh450 million was accepted. The company said it paid the full purchase price and was issued with the completion documents, including the transfer, to facilitate registration.
Chebett told the court that the property was subsequently transferred to Ultra Eureka, which he said is now the registered and lawful owner. He added that the company has since charged the property to KCB Bank Kenya.
The court papers indicate that a certificate of lease was issued on February 18, 2025, while an official search dated March 17, 2026 lists Ultra Eureka Limited as the registered proprietor.
The affidavit further states that after the transfer, Ultra Eureka's lawyers wrote to tenants on April 30, 2025 informing them of the change in ownership. But the firm says it halted any attempt to take possession after Tuju's side indicated they had secured court orders barring further dealings on the property.
That position changed after a ruling delivered on March 9, 2026 by Justice Mong'are, which struck out the amended plaint and set aside the interim orders that had restrained dealings over the property.
Ultra Eureka says it then hired Lavington Security Limited on March 10, 2026 to guard the premises and moved to take possession on March 11.
In the affidavit, the company claims that shortly after taking possession, Tuju arrived with more than 50 men armed with crude weapons, who allegedly roughed up security guards and injured several of them.
The company says police later intervened and restored order, with Lang'ata police asking both sides to present documents supporting their respective claims to ownership.
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Chebett says Ultra Eureka's advocate attended the meeting and submitted documents supporting the company's ownership claim, while Tuju and his lawyers allegedly said documents would "not tell the whole story" before walking out.
The company argues that Tuju's rights over the property have already been extinguished because he is no longer the registered owner, and that if the court were to find any irregularity in the auction, the remedy available would be damages rather than repossession.
The affidavit was filed in response to an application by Tuju and other plaintiffs seeking court intervention following the latest developments at the property.
EADB, in a statement dated March 16, 2026 and referenced in the affidavit, said Dari Limited borrowed more than USD 9.1 million in 2015, with the loan going into default by the second quarter of 2016.
The regional lender said it later obtained judgment in England in June 2019 for more than USD 15.1 million, covering principal, interest and penalties. The judgment was recognised by the Kenyan High Court in February 2020 and upheld by the Court of Appeal in April 2023.
