The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered 12 parcels of grabbed public land worth Ksh320 million.
In a statement released on Friday, June 20, the anti-graft body revealed that the recovered prime parcels had been grabbed in Bungoma and Kakamega counties.
According to the EACC, the land in question had consisted of government houses and was acquired by private individuals in collusion with public officials.
The recovered parcels are believed to be just the tip of the iceberg, as the EACC revealed that land grabbing remains a prevalent issue in Western Kenya.
Addressing a joint forum of members from the Regional, County, and Sub-County Security Committees in Western Kenya, the EACC Western Regional Manager revealed that there were increasing cases of public land grabbing in the region by private developers who use fraudulently acquired title deeds to secure loans.
To that effect, the Commission disclosed that it was pursuing 56 more illegally acquired parcels of land belonging to the State Department for Housing, the Judiciary, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Railways, and the National Treasury in the region.
Speaking at the forum, Western Regional Commissioner Samson Macharia urged administrative officers to take responsibility for ensuring efficient service in their areas of command.
In addition, he urged the security chiefs to join efforts with the EACC in tackling corruption and bribery at service delivery points, which he termed as the biggest obstacle to service delivery.
The latest comes after President William Ruto had in February this year ordered a major crackdown on land grabbers across the country. This was part of the stringent measures to reduce the large-scale displacement of people from their rightful property.
Speaking in Kwale on Tuesday, February 25, Ruto ordered security agencies in each county to enforce the law against fraudulent landowners.
While issuing 6,247 title deeds to residents of three sub-counties in Kwale, Ruto also reaffirmed the government’s commitment to securing land tenure for all Kenyans.
While directing the immediate arrest of all land grabbers, the Head of State emphasised that no Kenyan should be deprived of their rightful land.
"I warn those who take other people’s land, this will not be allowed. No Kenyan should be deprived of their rightful land. I call upon security agencies to act because land grabbing is unconstitutional," Ruto declared.
"We will not allow a few individuals to take other people's land through fraudulent means. There is nowhere the law allows an individual to invade another person's land so that the government can compensate them," he added.
