High Court orders Arusha family to build house for long serving house help

Arusha. The High Court has ordered the family of the late wildlife author to construct a house for their long serving house help.

The court ruled that the proposed residence be built on a land near where the late Henry Fosbrooke's home sits at Duluti near Arusha

Mr Juma Isangu, now in his 80s, worked for Fosbrooke, the author of 'Ngorongoro, the Eighth Wonder', for many years until the latter’s death in 1996.

In addition, the court ordered the daughter of the famous wildlife writer, Ms Janeth Fosbrooke, to pay Mzee Isangu Sh5 million as reparations suffered since the death of his master.

High Court judge Moses Mzuna made the ruling last week in a case which has dragged on since 2016 and which was filed by Fosbrooke's family.

Fosbrooke's daughter filed the case seeking immediate eviction of Mr Isangu's family from a house he occupied opposite the current family's residence.

Mr Isangu had claimed that he was given the house by the late author in appreciation of his long service to him since the pre-independence days.

But Janeth objected this, saying as an overseer of the family property after the death of her father she was not aware of that and that the Isangus have to vacate the house.

During the colonial days, the late Fosbrooke served as the district commissioner for Kondoa and Mbulu, besides working in other capacities.

The author's daughter further insisted in a case first heard in the Land Tribunal that Mzee Isangu must vacate the house he lived because it did not belong to him.

The High Court upheld the suit and directed Mzee Isangu to hand over the disputed house and furniture, failure to which he would have to pay Sh500,000 per month as damages.

However, the Court ordered the family of the late wildlife author to build a new house for Mzee Isangu's family on the land it inherited after Fosbrooke's death.