Former Roads Minister, Franklin Bett. [Photo/citizentv.co.ke]
The Kenyan taxpayer will have to part with about 700 million shillings after a court ordered the government to pay a businessman the amount after the demolition of his posh house.Mike Maina's house was demolished in Nairobi's Spring Valley's suburb. The ruling was made by an Environment and Labour judge who gave the tycoon 651 million shillings for the replacement of the property and 50 million shillings for the emotional trauma suffered by Mr. Maina.In his suit against the state, Maina had strongly argued that his ownership documents were perfectly in order.His property was brought down on July 14, 2010, by heavy machines in an operation sanctioned by the then Roads Minister Franklin Bett.Bett had contended that the title to the property had been fraudulently obtained, an argument that the court rejected.Justice Gacheru ruled that the state had breached the right of Mike Maina to own property.