Drama as two men arrested for claiming ownership of elderly white couple’s Karen home

Karen residents are appealing for protection against a land grabbing cartel that is targeting elderly white residents in the posh Nairobi suburb.

Two individuals claiming ownership of a home by an elderly couple in the estate were on Thursday prevented by residents from executing what was described as a planned land grab, with one of them who was impersonating a senior police officer arrested and arraigned.

Jackson Mwangi Wambui, a man who claimed to be the Karen Police Station Deputy OCS and one Peter Munene Kamau were caught on video seeking access to Richard Hooper's Karen residence.

The stand-off, which occurred on January 18, 2023, quickly attracted the attention of fellow Karen residents via social media alerts, with some rushing to Mr and Mrs Hooper's aid.

Eric Munyua, an official of the Karen Residents and Owners Association, said: “This is one amongst the many cases that we have in Karen area whereby strangers appear out of nowhere claiming to own land of some of our members yet we know our members very well and we even keep records to show who has lived where for how long.”

Mwangi and Munene were prevented by Richard Hooper's friends and neighbours from making further advances to claim the property.

Mwangi, who posed as the Karen Police Station Deputy OCS, was then arrested by DCI officers from Karen. He was arraigned on Thursday and charged with impersonating a police officer at the Ngong Law Courts.

His accomplice, Munene, was instructed to report back to Karen Police Station on Thursday.

The Karen DCI is now trying to establish whether the two gentlemen are part of a land grab syndicate that is mainly targeting elderly home owners in Karen.

“The victims have been elderly people who are maybe living alone as their children are not around, and fortunately we’re always in touch with them to know what is going on,” Mr. Munyua stated.

Mr. Munyua added: “We keep having attempts by whomever they are trying to claim land…it ends up going to court. This is the sixth or seventh incident in the last couple of years.”

Karen residents have now embarked on a campaign to sensitize home owners about an active land grabbing cartel, believed to be aided by influential persons in the Ministry of Lands.