By Adow Ali
Mombasa-based lawyer Jane Akinyi Onyango has come under police scrutiny following allegations that she defrauded a family of Sh3 million in a disputed land transaction in Vipingo, Kilifi County.
Onyango, who is reportedly pursuing a position as a magistrate, is accused of misleading a group of buyers into purchasing a parcel of land that was entangled in succession proceedings a deal that ultimately collapsed.
According to documents filed in court, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has summoned the lawyer for questioning over the failed 2022 transaction.
The buyers, identified as Julius Otieno Nyodegi, Mirjam Fayette Gutow, and Colletah Akoth Nyodegi, allege that Onyango played a central role in the loss of their money.
In response, Onyango, through her legal representatives at Bond Advocates LLP, has moved to the High Court in Mombasa seeking orders to stop her arrest and prosecution.
A certificate of urgency filed in court argues that the matter is civil in nature, not criminal, and that Onyango is being unfairly targeted.
Court filings indicate that Onyango’s role was limited to drafting and witnessing a pre-agreed sale agreement between the parties.
Her legal team maintains that her law firm was paid a modest legal fee of Ksh15,000, and did not handle any of the Sh3 million, which was allegedly deposited directly into the vendor’s bank account.
The sale involved a one-acre portion of land that was part of a larger parcel under succession, with Celia Rose Pape, the administrator of the Estate of Rose Mwasha Pape, named as the vendor.
The disputed plot is registered as L.R. No. 842 (Original Number 490/5 Section III Mainland North), with title certificate CR. NO. 39862, issued in 2005.
Onyango’s lawyers argue that the sale collapsed due to complications within the succession process.
The vendor is said to have acknowledged the buyers’ demand for a refund and committed to reimbursing the full amount yet the buyers filed a criminal complaint against the lawyer instead.
Seeking judicial review, Onyango has petitioned the court to declare the DCI’s actions a violation of her constitutional rights to fair administrative action.
She is asking for orders to quash the summons, bar her arrest, and affirm that she has fully cooperated with authorities including attending a prior summons in April 2025.
Despite the petition, the DCI maintains that Onyango is a person of interest in a case involving obtaining money by false pretenses, and has warned that failure to comply with their summons could lead to criminal prosecution.