In a deepening scandal that has reignited concerns over land fraud in Kenya, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is probing veteran Nairobi lawyer Guy Spencer Elms for allegedly forging the will of the late billionaire Pritam Singh Panesar.
The case revolves around a prime 53-acre beachfront parcel in Msambweni, Kwale County, valued for its coastal allure and development potential, and highlights a pattern of controversy surrounding Elms’ involvement in high-stakes estate disputes.
Panesar, a prominent businessman who amassed wealth through various ventures, passed away in July 2018, leaving behind an extensive portfolio of properties spanning Nairobi and the Coast. According to investigators, Elms, a British-Kenyan advocate known for handling complex succession matters, along with businessman Nileshkumar Shah, has been pushing to be recognized as joint executors of the estate based on a purported will that forensic experts have deemed suspicious.
The DCI’s forensic examination, conducted by expert Alex Mwongera, delivered a scathing verdict on the document’s authenticity. Mwongera compared the signature on the will to Panesar’s genuine mark on his national ID card and found stark discrepancies.
“In my opinion the signatures are dissimilar and distinguishable, hence not made by the same author,” Mwongera stated, citing differences in “pen movement, character design and formation, pen lifts, pen speed, initial and terminal strokes, and the general resemblance.”
An independent analysis by forensic handwriting expert Emmanuel Karisa Kenga corroborated these findings after scrutinizing the will against nine verified documents signed by Panesar. Kenga described the mismatches as “glaring,” noting variations in stroke style, writing speed, and pen pressure that could not be attributed to natural inconsistencies.
The allegations extend beyond the will. An explosive affidavit from Henry Philip Nyabuto, a registry official, claims he was approached to fabricate a fake Green Card—a critical land registry document—to facilitate the unlawful transfer of the Kwale property. Nyabuto alleges that Wilson Gichuhi, a retired police officer acting on Elms’ instructions, enlisted his services.
To substantiate his account, Nyabuto provided an M-Pesa transaction record showing a KSh 10,000 payment received on January 21, 2022, from a phone number traced to Gichuhi. This evidence, investigators say, points to a coordinated effort to manipulate official records rather than mere legal oversight.
The disputed land’s history adds layers to the intrigue. In April 2022, the Environment and Land Court in Kwale, presided over by Justice A.E. Dena, granted ownership to three long-term occupants—Mohammed Ruwa Maridadi, Anthony Michael Mwanza Mulwa, and Ahmed Ouma Randa—under the doctrine of adverse possession.
The trio had resided on the property for over 12 years, developing it with three houses, two boreholes, and mature trees, as confirmed by a surveyor’s report.
However, Elms and Shah successfully appealed the ruling, arguing they were not parties to the original suit and asserting their executor status under the contested will.
The appellate court set aside the decision, noting procedural flaws since the suit was filed against Panesar years after his death, but the core question of the will’s validity remains unresolved. Today, the site is marred by opportunistic squatters and herders exploiting the ownership vacuum.
This is not Elms’ first brush with such accusations. For nearly a decade, he has been entangled in the succession of British tycoon Roger Bryan Robson, whose 2012 death sparked a battle over a Sh100 million property on Ushurika Road in Karen, Nairobi.
Elms was named an executor in Robson’s 1997 will, but allegations of forgery surfaced, leading to charges that were controversially dropped by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) earlier this year, citing insufficient evidence for charitable intent in the estate’s distribution.
In August 2025, a warrant was issued for Elms’ arrest in that case after he failed to appear in court, claiming a medical visit to London. 46 Public reaction on social media has been swift and damning, with users labeling Elms a “forgery grandmaster” and questioning why prosecutions have stalled despite mounting evidence. 43 0
Elms, who could not be reached for comment as of press time, has previously denied wrongdoing in similar matters, portraying himself as a defender of legitimate estates.
Legal experts warn that if proven, the forgery could carry severe penalties, including life imprisonment under Kenyan law, and further erode trust in the property sector. The Panesar probe, now under DCI’s spotlight, underscores broader issues of vulnerability in Kenya’s land registry system, where forged documents continue to fuel multimillion-shilling disputes.
As the investigation unfolds, stakeholders await the DPP’s next move.
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