By The Weekly Vision
A Deputy Registrar has withdrawn from a case involving a property dispute between tycoon Suresh Kantaria and his ex-wife, Mradula Kantaria. This move follows Suresh Kantaria’s petition to the Judicial Service Commission seeking the removal of Deputy Registrar Catherine Ng’ang’a from Nairobi’s Family Division. The dispute is centred around the sale of properties that a court had ordered Suresh and Mradula to divide. They divorced in 2005, and in 2015, the Court of Appeal directed that properties in South C and Gigiri be sold and the proceeds shared in a 3:1 ratio in favour of Suresh.
Suresh Kantaria owns two houses and a plot in South C, as well as a parcel of land in Gigiri. His former wife, Mradula, wants these properties auctioned with the proceeds held in an escrow account managed by her lawyers—a proposal Suresh strongly opposes. Instead, he has suggested that the properties be valued at current market rates to ensure they fetch the best prices. Suresh argues that this approach will expedite the sale and resolve the ongoing disputes more quickly.
Mradula is also seeking the enforcement of the Court of Appeal’s judgment, which requires Suresh to pay her Sh350,000 monthly for maintenance until her death or remarriage. Suresh Kantaria had accused Ng’ang’a of bias and requested her removal from the case. In her ruling delivered on Friday, Ng’ang’a stated, “This court acknowledges the pending complaint with the Judicial Service Commission and notes that there is no stay on the settlement of the sale terms. Therefore, I am recusing myself from this matter.” Ng’ang’a also indicated that Suresh’s petition to the Judicial Service Commission was an attempt to intimidate her and delay the settlement process.
The case will now be handled by another Deputy Registrar, with a mention scheduled for September 26 to address the terms of the property sale. Suresh and Mradula remain at odds over how to sell the matrimonial properties. Suresh has proposed that after the properties are valued, each co-owner can find buyers, and the properties should be sold to those offering the best prices. This method, he argues, would be quicker and resolve the litigation more efficiently. Conversely, Mradula insists that the proceeds be placed in an escrow account, from which she would receive Sh350,000 monthly for her upkeep, as outlined in her affidavit.
