NAIROBI, Kenya — The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has issued a strong warning to individuals involved in illegal land acquisition, saying public property will ultimately be recovered regardless of how long it remains in private hands.
EACC Chairperson David Oginde delivered the message on Friday during a tree-growing exercise at a reclaimed section of Karura Forest, where more than 1,000 seedlings were planted on land recently returned to public ownership.
“So it doesn’t matter how long you may stay in the property, eventually you may not enjoy it,” Oginde said.
He added that claims of long-term inheritance do not legitimise corruption-linked ownership.
“Many people who grab these kinds of properties say they are for their children and children’s children. But indeed, the children of this particular individual are not going to benefit from it because it was illegally acquired,” he said.
The exercise was jointly organized by the EACC and the Kenya Forest Service, marking the restoration of about 18 acres of forest land previously lost through irregular allocations before being recovered through a court process.
Decades-old land dispute
EACC Chief Executive Officer Mohamud Abdi said the recovered parcel demonstrates that corruption-related land fraud cases can still be resolved even decades later.
“We are here today to witness an asset which was recovered in 2025, but which had been acquired by some individuals almost 30 years ago,” Abdi said.
“That tells you that you may steal public assets today, but eventually they will be recovered.”
He further disclosed that the commission is pursuing similar investigations in other protected ecosystems, including Ngong Forest and Oloolua Forest, amid concerns over continued encroachment by private developers and influential individuals.
“We have seen many private developers and even influential people engaged in conspiracies involving public land,” he said.
“But eventually, we believe all public assets should go back to the public to serve the intended purpose.”
Court ruling restores public land
The recovered land was formally returned to the State following an October 2025 ruling by the Environment and Land Court, which nullified the title to Nairobi Block 91/386, valued at approximately Sh2.8 billion.
The court found that the 7.11-hectare parcel—part of Karura Forest and adjacent to land reserved for the former Kenya Technical Teachers College—was unlawfully allocated and transferred through a chain of irregular transactions dating back to the late 1980s and 1990s.
Justice David Mwangi ruled that the allocation violated both the Forest Act and the Government Lands Act, ordering the cancellation of the title and restoration of public ownership.
The land had been linked to the late former Cabinet Minister John Joseph Kamotho before being transferred to Gigiri Court Limited.
Conservation and climate push
Oginde said the restoration effort carries both legal and environmental significance, noting that Nairobi’s green spaces are under increasing pressure from urban expansion.
“Nairobi is becoming concrete throughout, and we must ensure such facilities are not taken by people who want to convert them into something else,” he said.
Nairobi Regional Forest Conservator Joyce Ntuku said the 1,000 seedlings planted on Friday are part of the government’s broader target of growing 15 billion trees nationwide.
“Our main activity is to ensure these trees survive and accrue the benefits they are supposed to,” Ntuku said.
Environmental advocate Hillary Kibiwott urged stronger youth participation in climate action, warning that climate change continues to intensify environmental risks across the country.
“Climate change affects all of us,” he said.
“So let us all come together and ensure that the trees we are growing serve the purpose of reversing climate change and restoring degraded land.”
Friends of Karura Forest Community Forest Association representative Professor Karanja Njoroge welcomed the recovery, saying continued enforcement will help secure the ecosystem for future generations.
“Karura will be safe. Under the hands of the Kenya Forest Service and the CFA, we are going to protect this ecosystem for generations to come,” he said.
