An American-based attorney embroiled in a multi-billion land ownership tussle with a local church has petitioned a Nakuru court to disqualify a lawyer from the case.
Diane Hamrick, through his lawyer Steve Kabita, raised sensational concerns before Justice Sila Munyao that Mwangi Waganjo is likely to be biased in the case where the United Methodist church is entangled in a dispute over the ownership of a 10.5-acre land housing the United Methodist Mission schools.
Kabita told the court that Waiganjo is a signatory of an account owned by the school and that he is a board member, prompting the court to direct Kabita to file an application objecting Waiganjo’s representation within seven days.
However, Waiganjo dismissed the claims of conflict of interest, arguing that he only acted as a board member of the schools in 2012.
In the suit, the United Methodist church has sued Partners in child and family support, an international NGO, and Hamrick who is leader of the NGO and also a member of the church, accusing them of lying ownership of properties belonging to the church.
The church has maintained ownership of the land where the schools, orphanage, hospital and church stand alongside other prime plots in Ngata area in Nakuru, saying it bought the properties between 2006 and 2009.
In court files, the church states that Hamrick was on a charity mission and only helped the church get resources to start.
The American citizen claims that the NGO sourced funds from its branch in the United Kingdom to start the schools and other projects so as to benefit the community.
She averred in court files that she has been running the school since its inception and that the church only participated in the school board.
The court slated July 9 for the hearing of the case.