NAIROBI, Kenya — Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have arrested a couple accused of fraudulently obtaining Sh2.4 million from a land buyer in a transaction linked to property in Ruiru Sub-County.
According to the DCI, the case was initiated after a complaint was filed on behalf of a Kenyan woman living in Denmark, who had tasked her sister with purchasing land in Mwihoko for Sh2.4 million.
Investigators say the deal appeared legitimate until the parties moved to complete the title transfer at Ardhi House, where it emerged that the parcel in question was registered under a different individual and did not belong to the purported seller.
The discovery triggered a full investigation by the DCI’s Land Fraud Investigation Unit, culminating in the arrest of 53-year-old Patrick Karimi Kamara and 50-year-old Alice Wanjiru Kanyoro, both identified as secondary school teachers.
The case file was subsequently forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved charges of obtaining money by false pretences.
The suspects are currently in custody, undergoing processing, and are expected to be arraigned in court.
Authorities say the incident underscores persistent vulnerabilities in Kenya’s land transactions, particularly involving absentee buyers and informal verification processes.
The DCI has urged the public to exercise due diligence when engaging in property transactions, including conducting official searches and verifying ownership details through government registries.
