Nuns of the Assumption Sisters in Nairobi, Kenya have been declared by a court to be the legal owners of the multi-billion St. Mary’s Mission Hospital.
The ownership dispute between Catholic nuns and an American missionary has been in court for more than six years and came to an end after the Environment and Lands Court declared the sisters the rightful owners of the hospitals.
Justice Sila Munyao handed over the hospitals located in Nairobi and Nakuru to the nuns.
The sisters and the American missionary, Dr William Charles Fryda, had laid claim to the property.
In his judgment, Justice Munyao ordered Dr Fryda to hand over the hospitals to the sisters whom he said were entrusted by the donors to manage it through the company registered as St Mary’s Mission Hospital.
“The court finds no evidence that the property was held in trust on behalf of Dr Fryda because it was registered under the company known as St Mary’s Mission hospital.
“The court therefore orders that the hospital’s property be transferred to the Assumption Sisters of Nairobi,” the judge said.
Dr Fryda, a trained oncologist (cancer specialist), filed the case in 2011 seeking to eject the nuns from the hospital premises for allegedly interfering with the running of the facilities.
The priest claimed to be the founder and chief executive officer of the institutions and accused the nuns of trying to kick him out and take over the property.
Through his lawyer, Dr Fryda argued that he used his money and that from his donors to buy the parcels of land in Nakuru and Nairobi on which the hospitals sit.
