KISUMU, Kenya, June, 8 – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has started investigations into the irregular land allocations in Kisumu County.
The exercise comes amid public hue and cry that some of the plots had either been irregularly allotted or double allotted or illegally acquired.
Some of the prime plots are traced to the city’s Mamboleo estate, Kanyakwar, Mlimani, Kondele, Manyatta, Dunga Beach and around Airport.
EACC Regional Director Abraham Kemboi said they had launched investigations to clean the lands records in the city and the sub counties to rid the lands sector of graft.
“We are going to scan the records, carry out physical visits to the sites just to ensure compliance and authenticity of the right plots or parcel owners,’’ said Kemboi.
Over the years, there has been an echoing concern in the public to the government to rid the land cartels out of the city, with reports showing some were involved in irregular land deals.
There are currently more than 100 active cases of irregular plots allocations or double sale litigation in the local courts pending determination.
Several unsuspecting land buyers have been victims of land fraud.
They will be at the apex of the EACC investigations.
Speaking in Kisumu on Thursday during a courtesy call to the office of the Governor, Kemboi claimed that some private developers had illegally encroached on the government land.
This had made it cumbersome for them to reclaim the plots for productive use.
“Some of the plots stood on the markets and some were on road reserves,” he said.
Recent efforts to reclaim the parcels to build markets and open up suburb access roads the city has been futile.
Already, Kemboi announced that the Commission has reclaimed land where Kisumu High Court sits from a private developer who had the title deed.
He said soon, the Commission will hand over the land title deed to Chief Justice, promising that more reclamation are on the way.
