Ex-Nyali Golf Club chairman moves to court to challenge membership suspension over alleged Sh362,591 debt

Nyali Golf & Country Club has been sued by its former chairman who is challenging his suspension from its (club) membership over an alleged debt.

Mr Kevin Njoroge Kamami says that the club has violated his constitutional rights to the extent that it claims from him money that was paid by event sponsors.

In his petition at the High Court in Mombasa, Mr Njoroge says he is a long-standing member of the golf club, was its chairperson for 2023-2024 having been duly elected and that he executed his duties with diligence.

Mr Njoroge is seeking a declaration that the posting and his suspension from the golf club membership on April 2 on grounds stated in a report of the club’s independent committee and adopted by its (club) management committee is unlawful, irregular and unconstitutional.

The petitioner says that during the club’s election for leadership for 2025-2026, all people whom he campaigned against lost the election and a new management committee took over.

He claims that the loss did not auger well with some candidates whom in the period leading up to and after the elections embarked on a smear campaign against him.

The petitioner says that pursuant to allegations of misconduct and debt raised against him by some members, the management committee resolved to form an ad hoc committee in March 2025 to look into and investigate them and establish the veracity of the claims against him.

According to the petitioner, the task of the ad hoc committee was to carry out findings as to whether he owed the club over Sh1 million.

“The committee upon its investigations found that the only amount outstanding was Sh288,000 which was not personally owed by the petitioner but had been pledged by some event sponsors and recommended that he does follow up on the payment,” part of the petition states.

The petitioner says that the sponsors cleared the amount upon his follow up and communication.

Mr Njoroge says that despite the findings by its own committee, allegedly Nyali Golf & Country Club in its malicious pursuit of his suspension and removal from membership, convened a Special General Meeting on February 12.

During the meeting, the petitioner says that another committee called an Independent Committee was appointed to reconsider the findings of the ad hoc committee of the management committee.

The petitioner says that the Independent Committee interrogated the allegations and findings of the ad hoc committee and without affording him any hearing of right of response to the allegations against him proceeded to overrule the findings of the previous committee and instead found that he was liable to pay the club Sh362,591.

Mr Njoroge says that the report of the Independent Committee was adopted by the management committee of the club which on April 2 proceeded to post and suspend him with other people from its membership.

As a result, the petitioner says that he cannot access the club or any of its services and would be liable for removal if he does not pay the amount demanded and unilaterally posted in his account by the club.

“The respondent (golf club) has further posted the petitioner’s name and particulars as an alleged defaulter on its notice board and other platforms which action is intended to humiliate, vilify, indignify and embarrass him as the immediate former chairman,” the petition further states.

The petitioner also seeks for an order issued to quash the decision of the golf club contained in its independent committee report and subsequently adopted by the management committee and implemented on April 2.

Mr Njoroge also want an order of payment of damages for violation of the constitutional rights issued against the golf club.

The petitioner also wants, pending hearing and determination of the petition, an interim conservatory order be issued restraining Nyali Golf & Country Club from blocking or restraining him from accessing the club and all its facilities as a member and further from suspending him or in any way interfering with his membership status.

The court will issue directions on April 28.