EACC recovered loot: Ex-Commissioners of land Wilson Gachanja, Sammy Mwaita listed among beneficiaries

Former commissioners of land, Wilson Gachanja and Sammy Mwaita, are listed among persons who grabbed and irregularly allocated themselves parcels of land belonging to government institutions.

The parcels of land were part of the public property grabbed from Kenya Meteorological Department, Kenya Railways and Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation.

When the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on Monday at State House, Nairobi, informed President Uhuru Kenyatta of public property worth over Ksh.30 billion recovered from individuals and private companies as proceeds of graft, the list of top grabbers was not made public.

Documents obtained from the anti-graft agency now detail the names of persons and companies caught in the public property repossession exercise.

A parcel of land belonging to the meteorological department, located along Mombasa Road behind Panari hotel was divided into five pieces, and allocated to Beacon Towers, Hilbrow Properties, Brentwood Traders, Varun Industrial Credit and Pamba Properties.

Title deeds to the 5 parcels of land measuring 53.4 acres and worth over Ksh.5 billion have been cancelled.

Former commissioner of lands Wilson Gachanja was at the heart of the litigation in what was collusion between powerful individuals and government operatives in the Moi administration.

High Court Judge Elijah Obaga, who handled the matter, faulted Gachanja for alienating government land for industrial purposes, a power that only the then president had.

The Kenya Railways land grabbed in Kisumu municipality was also repossessed. The more than 170 acres worth in excess of Ksh.2 billion is located next to the port of Kisumu.

It had 27 defendants in a case filed before Judge Anthony Obwayo, whose judgment in December 2020 returned the land back to the public.

Among the main culprits in the matter include Gachanja, former commissioner of lands Sammy Mwaita, Tobias Hongo, Jerry Okungu, Judith Okungu, Grace Odhiambo, Gordon Olando, Joseph Atonga, David Some Barno and Esther Chebet Some.

Other persons found guilty of illegal possession of government land include Rachel Nyamboke, Margaret Wambui, Brookway Osore, Maurice Angulu and Abdul Yussuf Matumba, among others.

Names of persons behind the grabbing of more than 2,300 acres of land belonging to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) worth over Ksh.2 billion have also been made public.

About 1,322 acres had been allocated to Wazazi Farmers in 1998, while 990 acres were first leased to Homegrown Limited in 1995.

The parcel was later sold to Pritam Singh and Igal Elfezouaty and sub-divided into 57 plots that were leased to flower farms in Naivasha.

John Lokorio, a former private secretary to the late president Daniel arap Moi, surrendered 142 acres of the grabbed KALRO land, while the National Lands Commission processed title deeds for over 2,166 acres repossessed in favour of KALRO.

“We know corruption has deep roots, and its axis keeps on regrouping and fighting back using all means to try and delay and dissuade our efforts, politicizing the war etc. But we shall not be swayed by the naysayers or misdirected by those who relish in negativity and resentment,” President Kenyatta said during the event.

EACC has now trained its eyes on other grabbed public properties and proceeds of corruption, while encouraging the suspects to cut the chase by surrendering the targeted assets.