Untouchable Mzungu Elms Spencer Finally Faces Law — And the Families Fighting Back

For decades, Guy Spencer Elms projected himself as an elite, globe-travelling lawyer unburdened by the ordinary reaches of Kenyan law. But now, the very names of families whose land he is accused of hijacking are stepping forward, demanding their stories be heard — and justice delivered.

In Karen, Nairobi, and in Msambweni, Kwale, Elms is no longer just a mythic “fraudster lawyer.” He is a defendant facing claims from grieving heirs, dispossessed occupants, and forensic experts who challenge his documents at every turn.

Karen: The Robson Estate and the Rival Claimants

One of the most explosive disputes surrounds the late Roger Bryan Robson, a British businessman who died in 2012. In his will (dated March 1997), he named Guy Spencer Elms (and another) as executors. But objectors have long accused Elms of forging key documents to wrest control of prime land in Karen. 

In In re Estate of Roger Bryan Robson (2025), the High Court dismissed objections that questioned the authenticity of Elms’ will. The judgment held that the challengers had not proved their case on a balance of probabilities. 

Still, the litigants are not obscure. One of the objectors is Agnes Kagure Kariuki, a public‐facing figure who later ran for the Nairobi governor’s seat. She and others argue that Elms used multiple false instruments (including a power of attorney) to mask his real intentions. 

Earlier, in 2020, Elms lost a court bid to block his prosecution in the Karen case, when a judge ruled that the case ought to proceed. 

Thus, in Karen, the battle is not abstract: it is between Elms and murky challengers who claim he misused his position, perhaps inserting himself under the guise of executor — then using that status to press fraudulent claims on high-value plots.

Kwale: The Panesar Estate, Daughters and Accused Co-Conspirators

At the coast, the Maeshwani (Msambweni) dispute is centered on a 53-acre beachfront estate that once belonged to Pritam Singh Panesar (d. 2018). Elms and accountant Nileshkumar Mohanlal Shah are named in a contested will as joint executors — but heirs and forensic evidence challenge that version. 

The Panesar daughters — Tanmeet Kaur Panesar and Jasmeet Kaur Panesar — have publicly stepped in, claiming that the contested will was not drafted under their knowledge or instruction. They insist Elms and Shah had “no beneficial interest” in the land except as executors. 

Yet in gazette notice No. 14724 (Nov 2024), the Kwale Land Registrar S.N. Mokaya declared a title deed issued in July 2023 in the names of Elms and Shah “null and void” after it was found to have been unlawfully procured. 

Investigations reveal additional names tied to alleged forgery. For example, an affidavit by Henry Philip Nyabuto claims he was contracted to falsify a “Green Card” (an official land registry document) to help secure control of the property. He alleges he received KSh 10,000 via M-Pesa from a number linked to Wilson Gichuhi, whom he says worked at Elms’ direction. 

The three men who had earlier claimed ownership via adverse possession (Mohammed Ruwa Maridadi, Anthony Michael Mwanza Mulwa, and Ahmed Ouma Randa) were initially declared rightful owners by a 2022 Environment & Land Court ruling. But Elms and Shah countered, claiming they were legitimate executors and should have been joined to the original suit. The legal back-and-forth has reopened the entire contest. 

The Pattern Behind the Names

When you place the Karen and Kwale disputes side by side, certain recurrent themes emerge — and the names help us make sense of them:

Together, the names transform the Elms narrative from personal boldness into a web of alleged conspirators, dispossessed heirs, and coerced instruments.

Where This Leads

By naming the contesting parties — the heirs in Karen and Kwale, the middle actors like Nyabuto and Gichuhi, and aggressive objectors like Kagure — we see that Elms’ defendants are not isolated. They are part of multi-front campaigns by individuals who believe their rights have been stolen.

As the courts move closer to full trials, these families will not just sit in the shadows. They have legal standing, public interest, and the moral force of being dispossessed.

If justice is to prevail, the law must not only chip away at Elms’ defenses — it must restore names and lands to those whose property has allegedly been stolen in plain sight.