The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has seized land valued at Ksh430 million that had blocked the completion of a mega project along Mombasa Road.
According to the investigative agency, the grabbed parcel had been reserved to build an interchange for Mombasa Road and Eastern Bypass at City Cabanas.
Construction of the interchange would ease traffic flow from Mombasa to the Western part of the country, thereby reducing congestion in the Nairobi Central Business District.
EACC linked a former lands commissioner to the illegal acquisition of the land.
While delivering the verdict, Lady Justice Komingoi of the Environment and Land Court concurred with EACC findings of a fraudulent scheme where a private entity was illegally allocated the public land even before it was registered as a company.
She further ruled that the grant made to the private company in 2001 was fraudulent, illegal, and void.
"EACC is pursuing more cases in courts across the country to recover public assets worth Ksh14 billion.
"This is in addition to over 400 suits seeking forfeiture of Ksh11.4 billion in unexplained wealth held by public officials who are unable to account for it," the EACC statement read in part.
In July 2022, EACC opened a lawsuit against two government officials who were accused of grabbing two parcels of land valued at Ksh95 million.
In a statement dated Saturday, July 9, a former lands commissioner was also linked to the first case involving land worth Ksh22 million.
The anti-graft body indicated that the duo also helped a private developer illegally acquire the second Ksh77 million land in Nakuru County.
"EACC has filed a court case in Nakuru to recover 400 acres of public land in Naivasha grabbed by private developers aided by former Commissioner of Lands.
The land, valued at Ksh77,902,500, had been set aside for a government veterinary project," the commission explained.
