EACC recovers public assets worth Sh126m in Western Kenya anti-graft drive

Integrity Centre, EACC headquarters in Nairobi. [Courtesy]

Public assets worth more than Sh126 million have been recovered by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after investigations uncovered their illegal acquisition by private individuals in Bungoma, Kakamega and Busia counties.

The recovered assets include government houses, public land reserved for housing and education, and parcels earmarked for State institutions.

The Commission said the recoveries were achieved through investigations, court judgments, litigation and voluntary surrender by individuals found to be in unlawful possession of public property.

EACC said the recoveries form part of a broader regional asset recovery programme aimed at restoring public resources to the Government for the benefit of citizens, adding that public assets worth a further Sh127 million remain under active recovery through ongoing investigations and court proceedings.

"EACC's mandate goes beyond investigating corruption. We are committed to tracing, recovering and restoring public assets that were illegally acquired. Asset recovery is about ensuring that corruption does not pay and that public resources are returned to serve the citizens for whom they were intended," the Commission said in a statement

According to the Commission, every parcel of land recovered represents an opportunity to restore public services that had been denied to communities after public property was diverted into private ownership.

In Bungoma County, EACC reclaimed several prime government properties in Milimani Estate that had been irregularly transferred to private individuals.

Among the key recoveries is a half-acre parcel valued at approximately Sh35 million that had originally been reserved for government housing.

Investigations established that the original government residence had been demolished and replaced with a luxury private maisonette before the Commission commenced investigations.

Following legal proceedings, the Environment and Land Court in October 2025 ruled that the property be restored to the Government of Kenya.

"The court affirmed that the property belonged to the public. It has now been restored and is available once again for public use," the Commission noted.

EACC also recovered a quarter-acre parcel worth about Sh7 million located adjacent to the Bungoma State Lodge after investigations revealed it had been excised from land belonging to a State agency. The property was voluntarily surrendered during the investigations.

Another parcel valued at Sh14.5 million that had been reserved for the State Department for Housing and Urban Development was also surrendered voluntarily and now hosts offices of the National Treasury.

An adjoining parcel valued at approximately Sh14 million belonging to the same State Department was similarly restored and currently accommodates county offices for the department.

The Commission further recovered two government residential houses valued at approximately Sh7 million each, with one returned voluntarily while the second was restored following a court judgment.

Beyond government housing, EACC also reclaimed land belonging to Bungoma National Polytechnic, safeguarding property reserved for educational purposes from private occupation.

The Commission disclosed that another property, which had been leased to the Bungoma County Government despite having been irregularly acquired by private individuals, remains under active recovery.

According to EACC, its intervention halted further expenditure of public funds on the leased property pending the conclusion of recovery proceedings.

In neighbouring Kakamega County, the Commission recovered five government properties in Milimani Estate through a combination of voluntary surrender and court action.

Among the properties restored to public ownership is Government House HG38 sitting on a 0.17-acre parcel valued at approximately Sh4.5 million, which was surrendered shortly after the Commission issued a demand notice.

Another major recovery was a 2.48-acre parcel hosting Government House MG1 valued at approximately Sh7 million, which was also handed back during investigations.

Through court judgments, the Commission successfully recovered Government House MG40 valued at about Sh7 million and Government House MG48 worth approximately Sh6 million.

The highest-value recovery in Kakamega was Government House HG22, estimated to be worth around Sh26 million, which was restored after the courts upheld the government's ownership claim.

The Commission said although the recoveries followed different paths, including litigation, investigations and voluntary surrender, they all demonstrated that illegally acquired public assets can be reclaimed for public use.

Recovery efforts are also ongoing in Busia County, where several cases involving public land and government property are at different stages of investigation and court determination.

While the Commission did not disclose details of the properties due to pending court proceedings, it expressed confidence that more public assets would soon be restored.

EACC maintained that asset recovery remains one of the strongest deterrents against corruption because it deprives offenders of the benefits obtained through illegal acquisition of public property.

"Every recovered asset tells the same story. Land meant for housing, education, security and delivery of essential public services had been diverted from its intended purpose. Through investigations, court action and voluntary surrender, these assets have now found their way back to the people of Kenya," the Commission said.