The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered grabbed public land valued at Ksh.12 million that had been reserved for police housing at Karatina Police Station in Nyeri County.
The parcel, known as Karatina Municipality/Block II/383 and measuring 0.074 acres, was surrendered to the Government after a 13-year legal battle.
In a consent recorded before the Environment and Land Court in Nyeri between the EACC and the registered owner, Peter Thinwa Ngari, Justice Evans Makori on 17 February 2026 ordered the surrender of the Certificate of Lease for Karatina Municipality/Block II/383 to the Government, free of any encumbrances.
In a statement, the Commission says it had on 14 May 2013 filed Nyeri ELC No. 92 of 2013, EACC vs Joseph Mithamo Wachira, Peter Thinwa Ngari, John Muriuki Ruthuthi and Wilson Gacanja, seeking recovery of the land. Investigations had established that the property was originally set aside for police housing in Karatina town.
Further inquiries revealed that in 1998, a survey excised part of the land and generated two development plans: Ref. No. C20/98/4 for a proposed residential plot and Ref. No. C20/98/5 for the existing police station site.
The excised parcel was allocated to Joseph Mithamo Wachira, who later transferred it to Peter Thinwa Ngari on 19 July 2001.
Investigations found that the irregular excision and allocation of the public land were facilitated by Johnson Muriuki Ruthuthi, then Provincial Physical Planner in the Ministry of Lands and Physical Planning, and Wilson Gachanja, the then Commissioner of Lands.
At the time of the survey and allocation, the land had already been designated as Government property for police housing and was therefore not available for subdivision or allocation.
The court’s adoption of the consent brings to an end the protracted dispute, paving the way for the land to be utilised for its intended public purpose.
The Commission urges individuals who are in possession of, or hold title documents to, Government land to voluntarily surrender such property through the Commission under the Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework.
