The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered public land in Kakamega Municipality valued at Ksh20 million belonging to the Ministry of Housing that had been irregularly allocated to a private individual.
In a judgment delivered on August 6, Justice Peter Mutua ruled that the contested parcel, originally part of Kakamega Municipality was trust land reserved for civil servants’ housing.
The court found that it could not legally be allocated to private individuals, declaring any lease or title issued over it null and void.
Justice Mutua also directed cancellation of all illegal register entries for the land and ordered Mr. Peter Muhatia Alubale, the first defendant in the case, to surrender vacant possession to the government.
A permanent injunction was also issued barring any dealings with the property other than its return to the Ministry of Housing.
EACC described the judgment as a decisive step in safeguarding public resources from illegal acquisition.
“This decisive ruling not only restores the land to the rightful owner, but also sends a strong message that public resources are not for private grabbing,” the anti-graft agency said in a statement.
The commission said it is pursuing more than 400 cases in courts across the country seeking the forfeiture of assets worth an estimated Ksh50 billion suspected to have been corruptly acquired.
