Five individuals suspected of being involved in a major land fraud case were presented before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Mombasa on Friday. The case revolves around a fraudulent land registration scheme concerning a 12-acre plot of land in Miritini, Mombasa County, valued at over Ksh.150 million. The suspects, Edward Marenye Kiguru, Abubakar Madey, Joseph Matheka, Mahmoud Abdalla Mahmoud, and Mohamed Saleh Hassan, face charges related to the unlawful transfer of ownership of the land, which had originally been registered to Kingorani Investment Limited in the early 1990s.
The land in question has been at the center of a dispute after employees occupying the property were allegedly evicted by the suspects. Following a formal complaint about the incident, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) initiated an investigation. The probe revealed that the land’s ownership was fraudulently altered and that the suspects were involved in orchestrating this illegal transaction.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) reviewed the investigation and granted approval to charge the five individuals based on the findings of the DCI. The investigation uncovered that the suspects had used forged documents to transfer the land’s title, deceiving authorities and those involved in the transactions. In response to the escalating seriousness of the matter, a nationwide manhunt was launched to apprehend the suspects.
Edward Marenye Kiguru, a registered private surveyor operating in Mombasa, was arrested on April 7, 2025. His arrest marked a critical point in the investigation. The other two suspects, Mahmoud Abdalla Mahmoud and Mohamed Saleh Hassan, who were attempting to flee to Nairobi, were apprehended in the city at a hotel before being returned to Mombasa for further interrogation. Joseph Matheka, a land administrator who had served in Kilifi County and was stationed in Eldoret, was arrested at his residence on Kangundo Road. The last of the suspects, Abubakar Madey, a registered physical planner in Mombasa, voluntarily surrendered to the authorities after a warrant was issued for his arrest.
During their court appearance, all five suspects denied the charges against them, pleading not guilty. The court proceeded to grant them bond terms, allowing them to be released on a bond of Ksh.500,000 each or a cash bail of Ksh.100,000, along with one surety of a similar amount. These terms are intended to secure their appearance in court for subsequent hearings.
The case will return to court for pre-trial proceedings on May 5, 2025, when more details are expected to emerge regarding the fraudulent scheme. The authorities have indicated that the case will continue to be closely monitored, given the high stakes involved due to the substantial value of the land and the severity of the fraud.
Land fraud has been a persistent issue in Kenya, with many individuals and entities falling victim to deceptive practices involving land transactions. The government has taken measures to address these crimes, and the case of the Miritini land fraud is seen as an important step in the ongoing fight against land fraud and corruption in the country. The outcome of this case is likely to have significant implications for future land dealings in the region and may serve as a deterrent to others involved in similar activities.
