Former Water Minister who also served as Mwala Member of Parliament, John Mutua Katuku, is facing financial trouble after auctioneers seized and sold off his property, including two tractors, goats, sheep, and dairy cows, over a longstanding legal dispute.
According to Mwala Sub-County Police Commander Fredrick Sitel, the seizure was carried out under a court order stemming from a civil case linked to a 2016 traffic accident.
Sitel confirmed that the auctioneers acted lawfully and had received the necessary permits from the courts.
The livestock and farm machinery were taken from Katuku’s rural property, drawing public attention due to his former status in national politics.
Katuku, who served as Kenya’s Cabinet Minister for Water and Irrigation from 2006 to 2007, has vowed to challenge the move in court.
Profile of Mutua Katuku
Katuku holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Nairobi and a Master of Arts in Sociology from Kenyatta University.
He began his career in public service as a community development officer and administrator with the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, where he worked in 1996 and 1997.
In 1997, Katuku was elected Member of Parliament for Mwala Constituency, a seat he held until 2007.
During his time in Parliament, he was appointed Cabinet Minister for Water and Irrigation in 2006, succeeding Martha Karua.
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Katuku has remained active in politics since leaving Parliament. He has vied for various elective positions, including the Machakos County Senate seat in the 2022 general election, where he ran on a People’s Trust Party (PTP) ticket but lost.
Katuku is currently the party leader of the People’s Trust Party of Kenya, a minor political outfit. He served as Mwala MP from 1997 to 2007.
Politicians Previously Targeted by Auctions Over Debt Disputes
In August 2024, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) turned to auctioneers in an effort to recover more than Ksh 400 million owed by politicians who lost election petition cases.
These debts arose from court-awarded costs related to challenges against election outcomes dating back to 2013 and 2017.
According to records submitted to the Public Accounts Committee, the IEBC was awarded Ksh 403 million in total, Ksh 99 million following 2013 petitions, Ksh 32 million from 2017 challenges, and an additional Ksh 4.3 million linked to lower court rulings from 2013.
A total of 139 former political aspirants, including those who contested for governor, senator, and MP positions, were reported to owe the agency millions.
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The Auditor-General, Nancy Gathungu, flagged the pending recoveries in an audit.
Karen Nyamu Faces Auction
In a separate high-profile case, nominated Senator Karen Nyamu was targeted by auctioneers in November 2024 over alleged unpaid rent totaling Ksh 1.25 million.
A Nairobi court, through Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate A.H. Nyoike, authorized auctioneers, supported by police, to access her residence at Graceville Villas in Runda to attach household items.
The court also instructed the Runda Police Commander to ensure enforcement of the court order dated November 11, 2024.
Senator Nyamu, however, dismissed the claims as unfounded.
She said she had a prior agreement with her landlord, James Gichuru Kirubi, to purchase the home, and that part of her rent payments had been converted into a deposit toward the property.
She vowed to contest the order in court, calling the move malicious.
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