EACC recovers Ksh.40 million government land in Kakamega

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered public property valued at approximately Ksh.40 million, comprising 1.05 acres in the Milimani area of Kakamega Town.

According to EACC, the property belonged to the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.

The recovery follows a ruling by Lady Justice A. Nyukuri on September 22, which adopted a consent entered into between Macdonald Lijjodi Makala and the government for the surrender of the property.

The Court directed the chief registrar to cancel the entries related to the lease issued to Lijodi.

According to EACC, the commission’s investigations established that the land had been reserved and developed for government housing and was therefore not available for allocation to a private individual.

Lijodi received a letter of allotment on December 10, 1992, and a lease registered to him on June 4, 1993.

However, the property continued to serve as government housing, with the three houses listed in the Government Building Register.

EACC says it is further pursuing the cancellation of the unlawfully acquired title and the transfer and registration of the property in favor of the Government. 

The commission has since advised members of the public to undertake thorough due diligence before acquiring land, including verifying the root of title and confirming that the property is not reserved for public use.