The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has managed to recover a 17-acre parcel of land that was grabbed from Karura Forest 27 years ago.
The development was confirmed by EACC in a statement on Tuesday, October 28. In a ruling on Thursday, October 23, the Nairobi Environment and Land Court determined that the land, which is worth Ksh2.8 billion, was illegally grabbed and sold to private investors in 1997, after being illegally allocated to former minister Joseph Kamotho.
According to EACC, the grabbing was facilitated by two ex-land commissioners, who will be held responsible.
The court found that the parcel of land was a combination of two parcels, which were initially reserved for the Kenya Technical Teachers College (KTTC) and a section of Karura Forest, thus making them public land.
The case, which was filed on September 10, 2007, sought to recover the land because its allocation and registration were illegal and contravened the Forest Act and the Government Lands Act.
"The Court held that the land was alienated Government Land, and its allocation to Hon. Kamotho was contrary to the Forest Act and the Government Lands Act. It further affirmed that the land was reserved for KTTC and Karura Forest," EACC said in a statement.
"Importantly, the Court reaffirmed that the principle of first registration does not protect unlawfully acquired property, as provided under Article 40(6) of the Constitution," it added.
According to EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud, 16 acres of the land will be reverted to Karura Forest, while the remaining one acre will be given back to KTTC.
Mohamud further affirmed that the commission will continue reinforcing efforts to track and recover government land that was illegally acquired.
The announcement comes almost two months after the commission recovered another prime piece of land valued at Ksh35 million in Bungoma County.
The land, which is located next to the Bungoma State Lodge and belongs to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, was illegally 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.
