Suspects held as anti-graft sleuths storm lands offices

Kajiado Governor David Nkedianye (right) in a jovial mood with Kajiado County ODM Chairman Mr Daniel Osoi during a political meeting with the Senior most Maasai elders of Eseuri age group yesterday. Nkedianye praised the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission detectives for their efforts to fight graft at the county land registry. The governor also urged Kajiado residents to join hands with his government in-order to manage the fight on corruption that is rooted in the land sector. PETERSON GITHAIGA

Anti-graft detectives yesterday stormed the Kajiado Land Registry, ransacked the offices and recovered cash.

The raid organised by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission officer in-charge of Lower Eastern region, Susan Kanyeki, recovered several unexplained documents such as Kenya Revenue Authority blank tax slips, blank land title deeds and private account banking slips.

In a drawer belonging to one of the employees, the officers recovered banking slips transacted on Wednesday amounting to Sh1.25 million. The employee had banked Sh800,000 in the morning and shortly before midday she banked another Sh250,000 in her daughter's private account.

Later at 3pm she banked another Sh200,000 to another person's account in Kajiado town. The officer, who handles transfer of land titles and searches, was also found with Sh90,000 stashed in a brown envelope under her office drawer.

The search that moved from the offices to staff personal cars unearthed thousands of shillings stashed in car boots and under seats.

In the Land Valuer's office, adjacent to the registry, detectives found Sh29,000 in a brown envelope that had been thrown on the floor.

The suspect found in the office had attempted to throw the envelope out, but sleuths stormed in before he could do so. When asked about the content of the brown envelop before it was opened, the official denied it was his. Ms Kanyeki, who appeared to have all the details of the corrupt deals at the registry, led her officers to a shop operated by a local land broker where they confiscated Government land documents.

They found blank title deeds, land search and transfer forms and blank KRA tax slips. Kanyeki said her office acted after receiving several complaints from the public that corruption was rife at the Land Registry.

She claimed some of the workers were selling land titles at Sh1,000 which appeared genuine because they possess all the requisite signatures.