NAIROBI, Kenya, Dec 13 – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered a grabbed road reserve on Mombasa Island valued at Sh21 million, ending a 17-year legal battle over land earmarked for the expansion of Tom Mboya Avenue.
In a judgment delivered on December 10, 2025, Environment and Land Court Judge Stephen Kibunja ordered the cancellation of the title to land parcel Mombasa Island/Block XI/983, ruling that it had been fraudulently acquired.
The court also issued a permanent injunction barring the current holder from dealing with the property, except for surrendering it to the government.
The 0.13-acre parcel had been irregularly allocated through a chain of transactions dating back to the mid-1990s.
Investigations established that the land, a designated road reserve, was first allotted in January 1996 without any application, before changing hands and eventually being sold in 2003 for Sh500,000.
“The land, reserved for the expansion of Tom Mboya Avenue, had been irregularly and fraudulently allocated,” the EACC said in a statement.
According to EACC, the original case was filed in January 2008 by the former Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC).
Justice Kibunja ruled that the title had been unlawfully obtained and must be cancelled, effectively returning the land to public ownership.
“With this judgment, land parcel Mombasa Island/Block XI/983 reverts to the government for the expansion of Tom Mboya Avenue.”
The recovery, EACC contends, restores a critical public utility corridor within Mombasa Island and clears the way for future infrastructure works along the busy avenue.
EACC said the ruling underscores its mandate to pursue the recovery of public assets lost through corruption and fraud, adding that similar cases remain active across the country.
