Former CS Aisha moves to block Sh60 million house debt recovery
National
By
Nancy Gitonga
| Nov 11, 2025
Former Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary Aisha Jumwa has moved to the High Court seeking to halt the recovery of a Sh60 million debt linked to the purchase of a luxurious house in Runda, Nairobi.
The disputed amount forms part of the Sh215 million agreed purchase price for the property that Jumwa bought in March 2023.
The award, issued in favour of Bevaj Furniture Ltd in May this year, arose after the company through its proprietor claimed she failed to pay the outstanding Sh60 million balance.
In court papers filed before the Milimani High Court Commercial and Tax Division, Jumwa, through her lawyer Nelson Havi, accuses arbitrator Sean Omondi Odinga of issuing the award in favour of Bevaj without her knowledge, participation, or legal representation.
She now wants the court to set aside the arbitral award dated May 22, 2025, and order that the matter be heard afresh before a different arbitrator.
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“I was never informed of the commencement of the arbitration proceedings.
‘‘I never participated in any arbitration before Mr Sean Omondi Odinga, was neither heard, nor did I instruct any law firm or advocate to represent me,” Jumwa said in her sworn affidavit.
She had entered into an agreement with Bevaj Furniture Ltd on March 13, 2023, to buy a residential house in Runda for Sh145 million.
Through an addendum agreement signed the same day, the parties agreed to increase the price by Sh70 million, raising the total purchase price to Sh215 million, on the condition that the seller would deliver the house fully furnished and decorated.
Jumwa says she paid Sh10 million of the extra amount, but the company breached the agreement by failing to deliver the promised furnishings.
“The respondent, Bevaj Furniture Ltd failed to deliver any furnishings and decorations as agreed, and therefore breached the terms of the addendum agreement, despite me paying Sh10 million of the additional Sh70 million as agreed,” Jumwa stated in her affidavit.
Court papers further reveal that Jumwa had made the initial payment of Sh145 million for the house through her financier, KCB Bank, to Gulf African Bank, the bank to which the seller had charged the property.
Despite this, she claims, Bevaj Furniture initiated arbitration proceedings accusing her of failing to pay the Sh60 million balance within 12 months from March 13, 2023, which resulted in the contested arbitral award.
“I later learnt that the subject of the dispute before arbitrator Sean Omondi Odinga was the alleged non-payment of the Sh60 million debt, yet I was never given an opportunity to defend myself,” she added.
The former CS maintains she was unaware of any arbitration proceedings until she was informed by Tom Ojienda and Associates Advocates that they had received a letter and invoice from the arbitrator indicating the award was ready for collection upon payment of Sh165,450.
“For the avoidance of doubt, I never instructed the said firm or any firm to represent me in those proceedings,” Jumwa asserts.
Through her lawyer Nelson Havi, Jumwa now argues that the arbitral process was illegal, biased, and unconstitutional, saying it violated her rights to fair hearing and representation under Article 50 of the Constitution.
“The award issued against the Applicant is not only illegal but a gross violation of her non-derogable rights to a fair hearing and fair administrative action under Articles 47 and 50 of the Constitution,” Havi said in court papers.