A british investor has finally reclaimed his multi-million shilling holiday home in Mtwapa after a bitter six-year legal battle against his former Kenyan lover.
Linn Alexander James Denholm met Catherine Nduku Muema in Thika before the two started a seven-and-a-half-year relationship. In 2017, Denholm funded the Ksh 2.5 million purchase of a beachfront-adjacent plot in Kilifi County, trusting Nduku to manage the construction of their dream home.
However, once the house was built, Nduku ended the relationship and locked Denholm out when he returned from the UK in November 2019. Denholm was shocked to find his locks changed and his personal belongings trapped inside.
Investigations at the Mombasa Land Registry revealed Nduku had forged ownership documents to list herself as the sole owner. She later transferred the property to her brother to block Denholm from taking it back, claiming the mansion and two cars worth Ksh 10 million were “love and apology gifts.”
The Court of Appeal dismissed her final appeal, ruling that multi-million shilling properties cannot be claimed as casual gifts when financial records show Denholm paid for everything.