Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has heightened its crackdown on land grabbers, by recovering six prime government properties valued at Ksh85 million in Milimani Estate, Kakamega.
The commission claimed the six land parcels were grabbed by private individuals in collusion with corrupt land officials.
EACC spokesperson, Eric Ngumbi, speaking to Kenyans.co.ke revealed that one of the recovered parcels of land belonged to Kakamega East Deputy County Commissioner.
"Six properties have been recovered and one is the current official residence of the Kakamega East Deputy County Commissioner. We could as well say that he has been a quarter on the government lands," Eric Ngumbi, EACC spokesperson stated.
Ngumbi at the same time raised concerns about the rising cases of land grabbing in Kakamega County, noting that the commission is still pursuing 20 other parcels of land in the prime Milimani area.
The Court already ordered the land registrar in Kakamega to issue new title deeds for recovered land which will be forwarded to the State Department of Housing. Ngumbi hoped that similar success would be witnessed with the other targeted parcels.
He further hinted that EACC will go after officials at the Ministry of Lands accused of corruption and colluding with perpetrators to facilitate land-grabbing cases.
"No single person has the right to enter a government office and allocate themselves the land and their rights for themselves," Ngumbi further warned.
The land recovery exercises closely follow the demolition of houses in the same area to pave the way for the government's Affordable Housing programme.
Former Cabinet Secretary Ambassador Amina Mohammed was among those affected by the demolitions after bulldozers brought down her home on January 9 this year.
While speaking to the media, the caretaker of the house lamented that the demolishers raided the compound through the fence and did not provide any documents to prove they were authorised to bring down the building.
