Murkomen, Wavinya declare war on Machakos land cheats

Interior CS, Kipchumba Murkomen (left) with Machakos Governor, Wavinya Ndeti during a Jukwaa la Usalama town hall forum at the County Commissioner's residence in Machakos on Saturday, April 26th, 2025. [Erastus Mulwa, Standard]

Land grabbers and State officials abetting fraudulent acquisition of both private and public land within Machakos County have been put on notice.

Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen yesterday declared war on all land cartels including powerful forces in government whom he accused of reducing Machakos to the country’s epicenter of land fraud.

Murkomen, who was reacting to Governor Wavinya Ndeti’s tough warning directed to land fraudsters operating in various parts of the county particularly Mavoko, said the Government will deal mercilessly with criminals that have invaded the land sector.

“We want to know which officials in the National Government are harassing Machakos residents with land fraud. We also want to know which political leaders are involved in illegal land matters, and which chiefs or assistant chiefs are facilitating fraud on land,” said Murkomen.

The CS vowed his ministry will make it a priority to crack up the criminal enterprise of land fraud activities immediately after the conclusion of the lower Eastern chapter of Jukwaa la Usalama forums held in Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties.

“As soon as we get back to Nairobi, we must sit down and develop a concrete strategy for dealing with contracted land invaders in Machakos County. We must bring this to an end. We will also seek to address the problem of issuance of fake title deeds,” the CS said.

At the same time, Governor Wavinya affirmed her position against the invasion of private and public land, saying she would not stand dispossession of land engineered by criminals and fraudsters.

“Nobody has the right to invade private land where owners have valid title deeds. I refused that as MP and even now as governor. We have seen fraudsters obtaining court orders to drive away genuine land owners using the police. We must finish that problem once and for all,” she said.

The governor also put on notice numerous establishments sitting within Machakos jurisdiction that had not been paying applicable land rates to the county government.

“Those people sitting on huge tracts of land have not been paying land rates. Soon, my government will demand payment of those rates,” said the governor.

The governor also waded into the stand-off between Machakos and Makueni counties over Konza City, inviting the national government for a round table sitting to resolve the dispute.

“We are not in any fight with Makueni and I know that is a matter for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Both counties are keen on earning revenue and it will be important to have an amicable solution to the issue,” she said.

The governor also urged the national government to fast-track the issuance of about 50,000 title deeds to local residents.

“We have more than 50,000 land title deeds that are lying at the Machakos registry. Those title deeds are capable of empowering residents to improve their livelihoods,” she said.

Deputy Governor Francis Mwangangi urged the CS to accelerate internal security reforms by investing more in the welfare of government administrators.