Business Mogul Chris Obure Wins Major Property Dispute, Seeks Compensation for Alleged Fraudulent Eviction

Nairobi businessman Chris Obure has secured a significant legal victory in a contentious property dispute over Senteu Plaza, a building he claims to have paid Ksh 1.3 billion toward purchasing.

The Chairman of SBS Meriton Group of Companies, which owns JET SPA World and Vista JET Global (East Africa) Limited, successfully challenged what he describes as an “illegitimate and illegal eviction” from the Kilimani property carried out in May 2025.

The Business Premises Rent Tribunal (BPRT) has now vacated and stayed the original eviction orders issued by Hon. Mike Makori on February 27, 2025, following a ruling by Tribunal Chairman Hon. Cyprian Mugambi on June 27, 2025.

Allegations of Fraud and Corruption

The case has taken a dramatic turn with allegations that court documents were fraudulently signed by a deceased person.

Obure claims that affidavits supporting the eviction were allegedly signed by Ajeetkumar Chhaganlal Shah, the founding director of the landlord company, despite his death on April 24, 2018.

“It is laughable that the Indian so-called Landlord went to Court to evict my companies from a property that I have paid a total of Ksh 1.3 billion to-date,” Obure stated. He added that he had invested approximately Ksh 100 million in beautification of the building and adjacent roads.

According to documents provided, the Kenya Registrar of Persons confirmed that Ajeetkumar C. Shah died of cardiac arrest at M.P Shah Hospital and was cremated on April 28, 2018. The matter was reportedly referred to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in October 2023.

Financial Dispute Details

The dispute centers on significant financial transactions between Obure’s companies and the landlord. Bank statements allegedly show that Ajeetkumar C. Shah and Others received substantial payments totaling over Ksh 900 million from various Obure-associated entities between 2017 and 2023.

These payments reportedly included:

• USD $8.1 million in foreign currency transfers
• Ksh 67.6 million in local currency payments
• Large deposits from companies including GLO JET International, SBS Meriton Group, and Cullinan Private Jets Corp Limited.

Obure has filed a fresh compensation suit at the Milimani Commercial High Court, seeking damages of not less than Ksh 5 billion against the landlord and associated parties, including auctioneer Zachary Barasa of Siuma Auctioneers.

The case is being handled by a legal team led by Hon. Gitobu Imanyara, with additional representation from Prof. PLO Lumumba and Mrs. Caroline Oduor.

A related case (BPRT/E553/2025) seeking to restore Obure’s possession of the property is scheduled for mention before Hon. Cyprian Mugambi on July 1, 2025.

The underlying ownership dispute remains pending at the High Court Environment and Lands Court (Case No. E112/2023), with the next hearing scheduled for July 9, 2025.