EACC moves to recover gov’t land, houses grabbed by former top officials

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is pursuing the recovery of government land and houses worth Ksh5.4 billion allegedly grabbed by former top state officials in Central Kenya.

The assets include the official residence of Central Regional Commissioner, top national government officials in Nyeri County, police stations in Laikipa County, and the Njambini Agricultural Training Centre in Nyandarua County.

Speaking in Nyeri on Thursday during the EACC Media Workshop for Journalists practising in the Central Region, the Commission’s Spokesperson Eric Ngumbi revealed that the Commission has moved to Court seeking orders to nullify fraudulently acquired titles to public property worth Ksh.1.2 billion currently in possession of grabbers while properties worth Ksh.4 billion in Nyeri, Nanyuki and Nyahururu are under investigations for recovery.

In the recovery suit for Njambini Agricultural Training Centre involving 50 acres valued at over Ksh500 million, the Commission has opposed a proposal by the Ministry of Agriculture to have the case withdrawn.

“The Ministry, through the Office of the Attorney General in Nakuru, applied to the Court to be enjoined in the case and filed an application to have the case withdrawn to allow the Ministry to settle it with the Defendant, a company linked to a former Cabinet Secretary” said Ngumbi.

Among the persons sued in the suits filed to recover public land and Government houses grabbed in Nyeri, Nyahururu and Nanyuki are former top State Officials including a former Cabinet Secretary for Lands, former High Court Judge, former Provincial Commissioner and former Commissioners of lands.

The cases are currently underway in various Courts in the central region.

In addition, the Commission’s spokesperson disclosed that many county governments are facing serious accountability challenges and that 1020 high-impact investigations involving 24 counties are being investigated on a priority basis.

According to Ngumbi, the Commission will also monitor execution of county budgets for the next financial year 2024/2025 due to increased cases where County Assemblies are colluding with officers on the County Executive side to budget for corruption.

This he said is largely through allocation of budget for already existing projects or projects that are not intended for execution, as a mechanism for stealing public funds.