Lawyer Awarded 1.3B For Defending Nairobi County Government In Land Case

A well-known Nairobi attorney named Donald Kipkorir has been given Ksh1.3 billion for successfully defending the Nairobi County government in a land dispute against the Ministry of Defense.

The Embakasi Barracks’ current land parcel is said to have been taken by the KDF violently in April 2012, which led to the filing of the complaint.

According to a decision made on June 13 by Deputy Registrar Diana Orago of the Employment and Labour Relations Court, Mr. Kipkorir would receive Ksh 1,338,011,582 billion in legal expenses.

The municipal council’s representation in the matter from April 2012 to September 2020 is covered by the bill of expenditures.

According to court documents that Citizen Digital was able to get, Registrar Orago calculated the prize after accounting for the land’s value (Ksh 61.5 billion), several court appearances, and court filings.

According to the county administration, Mr. Kipkorir’s law company, KTK Advocates, had a retainer agreement with the city hall for Sh400 million plus VAT, which is why they objected to the amount.

Orago denied the claim, claiming there was no evidence an agreement had been reached on the sum.

“As it stands this court is not convinced that there existed a retainer agreement between the parties,” read the statement.

“It is moreover quite unfortunate that no proof has been tendered to this court to show that there existed a retainer agreement between the parties other than an unsigned letter allegedly from the applicant firm,” Ms. Orago said.
The respondent had the chance to submit a Replying Affidavit to provide evidence in support of its claims, but it chose not to do so, according to the applicant, KTK Advocates, who rejected the claims.

The court pointed out that the Advocates (Remuneration) Order establishes a minimum amount, and that while determining the amount, it has the option of raising the fees while remaining above the minimum.

With an almost two-decade long legal career and a focus on corporate law and commercial practice, Kipkorir is a well-known city attorney.

He has served as the chairman of a number of boards, including the Football Kenya Federation Elections Board and the Task Force on Kenyans Working Abroad of the Kenyan Government.

Additionally, he served as a commissioner for the National Olympic Committee and as a director of a nearby commercial bank.