The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Sunday, May 14, revealed plans of recovering public land, belonging to Kathi’s Court in Upper Hill, Nairobi.
Land documents showed that a private developer acquired the land from former Makueni Member of Parliament, who also served as Agriculture Assistant Minister, Peter Maundu.
In a statement, EACC stated that it had filed a case in court to recover the property currently hosting the Nairobi’s Kadhi Court.
“EACC has moved to court to recover the property currently hosting the Nairobi Kadhi’s Court in Upper Hill from grabbers. The property was fraudulently allocated to former Makueni MP and Agriculture Assistant Minister Peter Maundu by former Commissioner of Lands Wilson Gachanja,” EACC posted on Twitter.
In the recovery suit filed on 11 May 2023, Wilson Gachanja was sued in his personal capacity on account of facilitating grabbing of public land belonging to the Kadhi’s Court.
At the same time, EACC was seeking orders to compel the former MP to pay general damages for fraud and breach of fiduciary duty.
Although the Judiciary was in actual possession and in use of the Kadhi’s Court, the property was illegally owned by a private company that acquired it fraudulently.
The commission’s intention to recover Kadhi’s court land in Nairobi was revealed barely a week after the EACC recovered prime property valued at Ksh52 million in Nyali, Mombasa after a protracted row between a couple and the government.
In a statement released by the EACC on Thursday, May 11, the couple fraudulently acquired the prime piece of land.
This was after Lady Justice Nelly Matheka of the Mombasa Environment and Land ruled that the parcel of land was grabbed from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA).
It was established that an official from the Ministry of Land aided the couple in acquiring the bungalow in Nyali, Mombasa County.
Besides the 4-bedroomed bungalow, the land parcel had a servant quarter erected.
EACC raised concern over the rate at which Land Ministry officials were helping cartels in land grabbing cases, warning that nobody would be spared in the fight against corruption in the country.
The latest efforts by EACC to recover looted property came days after Ex-CITAM presiding Bishop David Oginde on Tuesday, May 9, took oath of office as the new chairperson of the Commission.
Oginde took over from retired Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala who had been EACC boss for the past six years.
While stating his commitment to end the wanton theft of public funds by unscrupulous individuals, Dr Oginde assured the Country of his personal commitment to provide leadership in the formulation of effective anti-corruption strategies and promotion of ethics, integrity and good governance.
