The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has reclaimed a prime piece of public land worth Ksh35 million that had been illegally seized by a private developer near the Bungoma State Lodge.
According to court documents, the disputed half-acre plot — officially registered as Bungoma Township/169 — was owned by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development before it was fraudulently transferred into private hands.
The individual behind the scheme went on to demolish a government house on the site and replace it with a luxurious maisonette.
Delivering judgment on October 9, 2025, Justice Enock Cherono of the Bungoma Environment and Land Court ruled that the property’s acquisition was fraudulent, unlawful, and invalid, declaring all related transactions null and void.
The court ordered the eviction of the illegal occupant and directed the Bungoma Land Registrar to cancel all fraudulent entries in the land register and restore the property to government ownership.
EACC investigators told the court that the land had been part of a 1961 government plan to build residential houses for senior public officers — and was never meant for private or commercial development.
The Commission’s findings revealed that the property was irregularly allocated in 2004 to two individuals who had no legal claim to it. The duo later sold it in 2016 to a third party, who went on to construct the mansion that now sits on the land.
When the new owner moved to court seeking to be declared the rightful proprietor, EACC opposed the petition, arguing that the entire transaction chain was tainted by corruption, deceit, and collusion with rogue government officials.
Justice Cherono agreed with EACC’s submission, noting that the title documents were acquired through fraudulent means and the misuse of public office.
In a statement after the ruling, EACC hailed the court’s decision as a significant victory in the ongoing war against land grabbing. The agency vowed to continue recovering all public assets unlawfully converted for private gain and to hold accountable every public officer involved in such schemes.
The Commission also disclosed that 16 other prime public properties within Bungoma town are currently under investigation for similar fraudulent dealings.
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