A former Principal Secretary could find himself in legal jeopardy over a Ksh200 million piece of prime land allegedly grabbed from the government. The high-value property located in Eldoret City is now the focus of a determined recovery effort by anti-corruption investigators.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) confirmed on Thursday that it has initiated legal proceedings to reclaim the parcel. The land, situated within Eldoret's Central Business District (CBD), was allegedly acquired through fraudulent means.
According to the EACC, the 3.44-acre plot had originally been reserved for government housing. However, it was illegally allocated for the personal benefit of the former Principal Secretary for Provincial Administration and National Security, alongside a company linked to a former Rift Valley Provincial Commissioner.
Further complicating the matter, a former Commissioner of Lands has also been named in the suit. This individual is implicated for an alleged breach of statutory and fiduciary duties, suggesting a broader scheme involving high-ranking officials in the land's illicit transfer.
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As per EACC's investigations, the land in question still hosts two government houses, which are still under the management of the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.
"EACC contends that the land where two government houses still stand was not available for allocation as the same had been reserved and in use for public purposes."
Because the houses are still under State management, EACC argues in the suit that the prime piece of land remains government property.
In the lawsuit, the EACC is now seeking to have the leases and subsequent transfers declared null and void. The commission also seeks the cancellation of the land title, a permanent injunction to prevent further dealings, and for the land to be returned to the government.
With the Environment and Land Court certifying the application as urgent, the matter is set for hearing on June 23, 2025.
This is the latest crackdown by the EACC on property allegedly belonging to the state, and it comes just weeks after the recovery of 12 parcels of grabbed public land worth Ksh320 million.
On June 20, the EACC revealed there was an active pursuit of 56 more illegally acquired parcels of land belonging to different agencies, including the State Department for Housing, the Judiciary, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, Kenya Railways, and the National Treasury in the Western Kenya region.
During a joint forum of members from the Regional, County, and Sub-County Security Committees in Western Kenya, the EACC, through the Western Regional Manager, noted an emerging trend of unscrupulous individuals acquiring government land fraudulently through fake title deeds.
