Court Gives Mosiria Relief After Skipping Sentencing Hearing

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria has secured temporary relief after the High Court agreed to hear his challenge against a contempt of court ruling in the ongoing Parklands development case.

Mosiria had been expected to appear before the Environment and Land Court (ELC) on Tuesday afternoon for mitigation ahead of sentencing, but failed to show up.

His lawyer, Danstan Omari, told the court that Mosiria had fallen ill after learning he could be jailed over the contempt finding.

According to Omari, his client was “shocked” by the possibility of imprisonment and sought medical attention, resulting in a four-day sick-off.

A photo of the Milimani Law Courts in Nairobi. /FILE

After reviewing the explanation, the court granted Mosiria’s request to have his application heard and ruled on before any mitigation or sentencing could proceed.

“We will afford your client a hearing on the application, but it will not be as urgent because we have other matters in between,” the court stated.

At the same time, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has launched a probe into an alleged forgery linked to the same Parklands land dispute.

In a letter dated November 4, 2025, Kilimani Sub-County Criminal Investigations Officer (SCCIO) Hussein Mahat wrote to the Deputy Registrar of the ELC in Milimani, requesting certified copies of all documents filed in Petition No. E012 of 2025 by Kamalkumar Rajinkant Sanghani, including affidavits and supporting materials.

The letter, acknowledged and stamped by the court registry, indicates that detectives are investigating a forgery case under Section 349 of the Penal Code, recorded as OB 77/30/10/2025 at Kilimani Police Station.

The DCI’s involvement comes amid heightened attention on the Parklands development controversy, where a three-judge bench — Principal Judge O.A. Angote, Justice A. Omollo, and Justice C.G. Mbogo — recently found Mosiria guilty of contempt.

The court ruled that Mosiria had disobeyed a conservatory order issued on March 5, 2025, barring the county and its committees from approving or processing any development applications in the Parklands area until a proper physical and land-use plan was in place.

Petitioners, led by Sanghani and members of the Parklands Residents Association, accused county officials of defying the order by allowing excavation and tree felling to continue along Jalaram Road despite the court’s directive.

Following the court’s decision, Mosiria’s legal team stated that their client had reported the alleged forgery to the same police station after learning of the contempt finding.

They further disclosed that they had engaged an independent forensic expert, who concluded that the signature used as evidence against Mosiria was not his.

The lawyers maintained that Mosiria, being a public official, had complied with all legal requirements and would not have disobeyed a court order.