Activist Boniface Mwangi has exposed land-grabbing cartels working with government employees to steal properties in Nairobi.
The photojournalist, in a statement, noted that the cartel targeted landlords deemed as weak leading to a record number of complaints.
Mwangi revealed that most of the cases had been reported at the ‘Sema Ukweli’ office, an independent platform to expose injustices and human rights issues ordinary Kenyans face.
According to reports from several victims, the cartel identifies a plot they can develop, find a tenant who lives there, and use them as a front to claim ownership of the property.
“The front person gets crooked lawyers to sign fake affidavits which they submit in court with a fake title deed. The court doesn’t bother to ascertain ownership, or even call the real landowner before they issue an eviction order ex-parte," the activist complained.
“Once that happens, you or your tenants are evicted and goons move in."
The most targeted clusters are women who own land in South B, South C, Pangani, Kileleshwa and Eastleigh.
In some instances, the cartels offer a small amount of money to force an owner into selling their land, and if they refuse the money, or go public, they still lose the property.
“It's a matter of time before they start targeting land anywhere, and everywhere. They are even stealing government property with the help of Cabinet and Permanent Secretaries,” he cautioned.
The activist, therefore, advised land owners to put updated particulars on Ardhi Sasa and secure original documents in a safe bank to avoid falling victim to the gang
“Do not, and I repeat, do not give your original documents to your lawyer for safekeeping, give them copies instead," he stated.
In October, Nairobi was ranked top among counties with the most unresolved land disputes according to a report by the National Crime Research Centre.
According to the report, the capital leads the way with a 12% rate followed by Kakamega at 6.3% and Nakuru at 5%.
Meru(5.3%), Kisii(5.2%), Bungoma(5.1%), Kilifi(4.6%), Kisumu(4.5), Kiambu(4.1), and Siaya(3.9%) completed the set of the top 10 counties struggling with land dispute cases.
