Table of Contents
The Mombasa Law Court has once again put off its decision in a high-value land dispute involving Mayport Limited, tied to Mombasa businessman Mohamed Jaffer. On Sept. 22, Judge Lucas Naikuni of the Environment and Land Court said a heavy docket had forced him to delay judgment for the eighth time in a case estimated at Ksh15 billion ($116 million).
“I understand that the continuous delays have been frustrating for all parties involved. I assure you that a verdict will be delivered on Oct. 17 this year,” Judge Naikuni told the courtroom, apologizing to both the petitioners, Juma Abdalla Munyau and Asma Nduku, and the defendants. For Munyau and Nduku, the wait has stretched more than four years since they first filed suit in 2021. They argue that Mayport illegally acquired their land and named the company, the Registrar of Lands, and the Attorney General as respondents.
Court presses Jaffer’s circle over missing land deed
Court filings trace the disputed transfer back to property once owned by James Kibet Chichir. The petitioners say the transfer to Mayport was flawed and that the company has no valid ownership records. Earlier this year, the court ordered Mayport directors Shaniz Chatur, a former legal adviser at Grain Bulk Company Ltd, and Yakatali Amirali Lamuwalla, Jaffer’s longtime aide, to produce the original title deed. While the petitioners have already presented a document they insist is authentic, Mayport has yet to provide its own deed or proof of purchase. The absence of such evidence has stalled proceedings and heightened tensions.
The land case is one of several legal battles tied to Jaffer’s business dealings. In another matter, a Ksh1.8 billion ($14 million) payment made to a company linked to him was challenged in court. The sum, issued as compensation for land taken for Kenya’s Standard Gauge Railway, was initially ruled to have been paid in error. Although a judge sided with the petitioners at first, the decision was later appealed, leaving the issue unresolved.
Jaffer’s port vision strengthens Kenya’s food security
Mohamed Jaffer, who chairs MJ Group, has built a reputation as a central figure in Kenya’s logistics and port services. His flagship Grain Bulk Handling Limited (GBHL) has dominated grain imports at the Port of Mombasa for nearly three decades. The port is East Africa’s busiest seaport and a vital entry point for the region’s trade.
GBHL’s reach now extends beyond the coast. Last year, it opened a grain-handling terminal in Nairobi’s Embakasi area, intended to reduce costs and ease congestion by moving bulk shipments directly from Mombasa to the capital. The facility has been welcomed by millers and manufacturers who rely on consistent supply chains.
Even with the legal wrangles, Jaffer’s role in Kenya’s food and infrastructure sectors remains significant. The Oct. 17 judgment could mark a turning point, bringing long-awaited clarity to a dispute that has tested the patience of litigants and drawn public attention to the intersection of land ownership and business influence in one of Kenya’s most strategic cities.
