The long arm of the law is reaching for one of Nairobi’s prominent business figures, as the High Court issues an arrest warrant for Pius Mbugua Ngugi over an unpaid Sh4.1 million legal bill.

In a dramatic turn of events at the Milimani Law Courts, the Deputy Registrar of the Environment and Land Court, Cynthia Mercy Muhoro, has directed the Nairobi Central Police Station to hunt down and arrest the elusive businessman. The order is the culmination of a bitter dispute between Ngugi and the law firm Githogori and Harrison Advocates, proving once again that in Kenya, not even the wealthy are immune to the consequences of ignoring a court decree.

The Cost of Ignorance

The genesis of the warrant lies in a judgment delivered in September 2025. The court had ordered Ngugi to pay a principal sum of Sh3.7 million, plus interest and costs, bringing the total to a hefty Sh4.19 million. This was payment for legal services rendered in a land case in Nakuru. However, according to lawyer Harrison Musyoka, the businessman has played a game of cat and mouse, refusing to settle the debt despite the judgment.

The warrant commands the police to execute the order "with all due speed." This places Ngugi in a precarious position. He faces the humiliation of being handcuffed and dragged to court, or worse, being committed to civil jail for six months if the debt remains unpaid. The breakdown of the owed amount is specific:

• Principal Amount: Sh3,710,630
• Interest: Sh475,948 (and counting)
• Execution Costs: Sh7,000

"He has refused to pay fees owed to the advocates," Musyoka stated plainly. It is a simple contract dispute that has escalated into a criminal manhunt due to defiance.

A Warning to the Wealthy

This case sends a chilling message to the city’s elite who often treat service providers—especially lawyers—as optional creditors. The courts are signaling a zero-tolerance approach to the disregard of legal fees. For Pius Ngugi, a man of status, the reputational damage of an arrest warrant far outweighs the Sh4.1 million debt. He is now a fugitive in the eyes of the civil procedure rules, a label that sits uncomfortably next to his business accolades.

As the police mobilize to execute the warrant, the clock is ticking. Will the tycoon pay up to avoid the cells, or will we see a high-profile arrest on the streets of Nairobi? The ball is squarely in his court, but the referee has already blown the whistle.