The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has successfully reclaimed public land worth Ksh 25 million in Kisumu County. The 0.1116-hectare parcel, originally owned by Kenya Railways Corporation, was illegally acquired but has now been restored to the state following a court ruling.
In a judgment delivered on March 20, 2025, Justice Samson Okong’o of the Kisumu Environment and Land Court ordered the cancellation of the Certificate of Title for Kisumu Municipality Block 7/559, which had been unlawfully issued to Fred Ogonji. The court affirmed that the property was part of a larger land reserve for Kenya Railways and was never available for private ownership.
EACC investigations revealed that the land was initially under the defunct East African Railways and Harbors Administration, as per Legal Notice No. 440 of 1963. It was later transferred to Kenya Railways Corporation through Legal Notice No. 24 of 1986. However, in a case of blatant land grabbing, the parcel was unlawfully allocated to Ogonji in 1998, with an allotment letter issued on October 12 of that year. The fraudulent registration was finalized on June 30, 2000, when then Commissioner of Lands, Sammy Komen Mwaita, issued a Certificate of Lease.
The EACC took legal action in 2020, filing case ELC/E39/2020, seeking a declaration that the property belonged to the public. In his ruling, Justice Okong’o declared the land acquisition fraudulent, rendering the Certificate of Lease null and void.
This recovery is part of EACC’s broader initiative to reclaim grabbed public land in Kisumu County. Other significant recoveries include parcels belonging to the Kisumu Law Courts, Kenya Railways (Kisumu Port), and the KIWASCO water treatment plant.
Land grabbing remains a critical issue in Kisumu County, with EACC currently handling cases involving illegally acquired properties valued at over Ksh 4 billion. These cases, pending before the Environment and Land Court, highlight the agency’s commitment to combating corruption and safeguarding public assets.
The latest ruling reinforces the need for vigilance against fraudulent land transactions and underscores the role of the judiciary in upholding justice in public land disputes.
