KISUMU, Kenya – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has successfully reclaimed a parcel of public land in Kisumu County valued at Kes 25 million, marking a significant victory against land grabbing in the region.
The land, measuring 0.1116 hectares and originally owned by Kenya Railways Corporation, had been illegally acquired by a private individual, Fred Ogonji, in 1998.
Justice Samson Okong’o of the Kisumu Environment and Land Court delivered a judgment on March 20, 2025, nullifying the title deed issued to Ogonji and ordering the cancellation of the Certificate of Title for Kisumu Municipality Block 7/559.
The EACC’s investigations revealed that the contested land was part of the Kenya Railways Corporation’s holdings, tracing back to the defunct East African Railways and Harbors Administration.
Established as public land under Legal Notice No. 440 of 1963, it was transferred to Kenya Railways in 1986 through Legal Notice No. 24 of 1986.
However, in a shocking turn of events, the property was unlawfully allocated to Ogonji, who received an allotment letter on October 12, 1998.
By June 30, 2000, then Commissioner of Lands, Sammy Komen Mwaita, issued a fraudulent Certificate of Lease, finalizing the illicit transaction.
The EACC filed a lawsuit in 2009, seeking to declare the property as public land and nullify the fraudulent title.
Justice Okong’o’s recent ruling affirmed that the land was never available for private allocation.
He declared the Certificate of Lease issued to Ogonji as fraudulent, illegal, null, and void.
This victory is part of a broader effort by the EACC to combat land grabbing in Kisumu, a region where public properties have been systematically targeted.
In addition to this case, the Commission has reclaimed other critical properties, including land for the Kisumu Law Courts, Kisumu Port (Kenya Railways), and the KIWASCO water treatment plant.
Ongoing investigations by the EACC in Kisumu involve properties worth over Kes 4 billion, underscoring the scale of land fraud in the county.
“This case sends a clear message that public land cannot be privatized through fraudulent means,” an EACC representative stated.
EACC RECOVERS GRABBED KENYA RAILWAYS LAND VALUED AT KES.25 MILLIONThe Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered grabbed public land located within Kisumu County, measuring 0.1116 hectares and valued at Kes 25 million belonging to the Kenya Railways Corporation.
