The High Court in Eldoret has stopped the Director General of the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), Daniel Kiptoo, from developing a piece of land at the heart of a succession battle in Uasin Gishu County.
In a ruling read by Justice Reuben Nyakundi, the court issued the injunction in favour of Kiptoo’s half-sister Loise Jerop, until the assets of their deceased father Barnabas Bargoria are divided.
The court barred Kiptoo from developing or undertaking any development on the 22.29-hectare area, including a petrol station, greenhouses, water bank, or any other commercial developments, prior to all the beneficiaries agreeing on how they shall use the land.
The contested property, listed as Kiplombe/Kuinet Block 2 (Rotich and Birech) 21, lies along the Eldoret–Ziwa highway in Kuinet.
Justice Nyakundi also directed the administrators of the multi-billion-shilling estate to move quickly in confirming the Grant of Letters of Administration.
To ensure compliance, copies of the court order will be served on the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Soy Police Station, the area chief, and the Deputy Registrar of the High Court in Eldoret.
The case was filed by Jerop, who accused her stepbrother of embarking on multi-million-shilling projects without the family’s consent.
She told the court that the land remains registered in their late father’s name and warned that Kiptoo’s actions amounted to intermeddling with the estate.
Kiptoo denied the accusations, arguing that his sister had not produced any evidence to prove her claims. He said granting the injunction without such proof would be unfair.
But Justice Nyakundi ruled in favour of Jerop, elucidating that she would endure irreparable harm if the construction continued.
He clarified that further developments could cause irreversible changes to the land, and monetary compensation would not be adequate.
