EACC has recovered a prime parcel of public land valued at Ksh35 million located next to the Bungoma State Lodge.
The land, belonging to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, had been unlawfully acquired by a private individual who went on to demolish a government house on the property and replace it with a luxury maisonette.
In a ruling delivered on October 9, 2025, the Bungoma Environment and Land Court found that the acquisition of the half-acre plot, registered as Bungoma Township/169, was fraudulent and unlawful.
Justice Enock Cherono declared all transactions leading to the private ownership of the land null and void.
The court further issued an eviction order against the unlawful occupant and directed the Bungoma Land Registrar to cancel all fraudulent entries in the land register relating to the property.
The judge noted that the title documents used to claim ownership were obtained through deceit and collusion with public officials.
According to court documents, EACC told the court that its investigations had revealed that the parcel was among several properties reserved by the government in 1961 for the construction of residential houses for senior public officers and was never meant for private ownership or commercial development.
The Commission’s findings showed that the land was irregularly allocated in 2004 to two individuals who had no legitimate claim to it.
The pair later transferred the property in 2016 to another party, who constructed the maisonette after demolishing the original government house.
The individual later moved to court seeking to be declared the lawful owner of the land. EACC, however, opposed the petition, insisting that the acquisition process was tainted by fraud and misuse of office.
Meanwhile, the judge directed the Bungoma Land Registrar to remove all entries connected to the fraudulent titles and restore the property to the government.
EACC welcomed the ruling, describing it as a major step in restoring public assets that had been unlawfully converted for private use, revealing that it would continue to pursue all those involved in fraudulent land dealings, including public officers who facilitated the transactions.
According to the Commission, at least 16 other prime public properties in Bungoma town believed to have been grabbed are currently under investigation.
