Former journalist John Mugo Njeru and his wife, Editor Irima Mugo, have denied 12 criminal charges linked to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of a prime parcel of land valued at KSh1.176 billion in Syokimau, Machakos County.
Couple pleads not guilty
The couple appeared before Mavoko Resident Magistrate Faith Boit and pleaded not guilty to charges including conspiracy to defraud, making false documents, obtaining land registration by false pretences, forgery and uttering forged documents.
According to the prosecution, the charges relate to Nairobi Block 165/1314, a 3.775-hectare property. Investigators say the land belongs to Kyoga Hauliers Limited.
Court documents allege that the couple unlawfully obtained registration of the land by relying on fabricated ownership records. Prosecutors claim they prepared false land documents, including a purported Grant and Deed Plan. They allegedly used the documents to facilitate registration of the property.
The prosecution also alleges that several official signatures on the disputed documents were forged. These include signatures said to belong to former Commissioner of Lands Zablon Agwata Mabea, land registrars F.N. Orare and P.N. Mburu, and survey officials Ben Siro and Gitau.
In addition to the joint charges, prosecutors separately accuse John Mugo of presenting forged land documents to investigators at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations headquarters on June 3, 2026. They allege that he knew the documents were not genuine.
Defence seeks more time
Before plea-taking, defence counsel Philemon Koech asked the court to postpone the proceedings. He said the parties had started discussions aimed at resolving the dispute outside court.
“There are ongoing engagements between the parties, and we respectfully ask the court to allow that process to continue before plea is taken,” Koech submitted.
The complainant’s lawyer, Ken Echesa, opposed the application. He said his client was unaware of any settlement negotiations.
“My instructions are that the complainant is unaware of any negotiations. We therefore urge the court to proceed with the plea,” Echesa told the magistrate.
Court orders pre-bail reports
After the couple entered their plea, the defence asked the court to release them on bond. Counsel argued that they had honoured police summons voluntarily and that their detention had left their young child without parental care.
The court did not determine the bond application immediately. Instead, it directed probation officers to prepare pre-bail reports to assess whether the accused are suitable for release.
The matter will come up tomorrow. The court will consider the pre-bail reports before giving directions on the bond application.
