Grabbers rush to return stolen property to EACC

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO Twalib Mbarak(L) and Chairman Eliud Wabukala during their meeting with the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on the investigations and Prosecutions of Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes at Parliament. [File, Standard]

Properties worth more than Sh5.5 billion either irregularly acquired or grabbed by former and current government officials and politicians in Nakuru County have been returned

Among these are some 768.8 acres of government land and houses worth billions of shillings.

According to the Ethics and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) South Rift director Hassan Khalid, former powerful civil servants, politicians, and administrators are among the people who have opted to voluntarily surrender public assets through the alternative dispute resolution mechanism.

He, however, declined to give details of people who have voluntarily surrendered grabbed properties saying the commission wanted to encourage more people own up or face prosecution.

Among parcels of land surrendered is the 400-acre belonging to Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organisation (Kalro), valued at Sh1.2 billion.

The commission also received back a title deed for Nakuru Municipality Block 12/124 worth Sh35 million, located at Milimani estate within Nakuru town.

According to the commission, the Kalro land in Naivasha was illegally acquired by six people and subdivided to investors. The parcels are however not developed.

Elsewhere, three parcels of land measuring 0.17 hectares, 0.16 hectares and 1.15 hectares valued at Sh7.2 million and initially set aside for the construction of stadium in Sotik, Bomet County have also been surrendered to the commission.

Khalid said the parcels shall be handed over to the county government for development.

More parcels of land and government houses are under investigations. These include is survey department's land in Kericho County and government houses in Baringo.

In Nakuru, the commission is pursuing several houses initially belonging to the veterinary department and a 50-acre parcel of land belonging to Kenya Prisons.

Property belonging to Moi Primary School is also under investigation.

"Some of the cases are being handled through alternative dispute resolution and others through criminal prosecution in court," said the land commission official

In March this year, the commission acquired government property and land worth Sh700 million in Nakuru county.

The property included grabbed land belonging to schools and research institutions and a playground.

Among what was acquired include government houses: Nakuru Municipality 4/226, Nakuru Municipality 4/227, Nakuru Municipality 4/228, Nakuru Municipality 5/246 and Nakuru Municipality 12/124 valued at Sh95.2 million belonging to the Housing ministry.

Houses worth Sh42 million belonging to the survey department at Flamingo estate, Nakuru town were also surrendered to the commission.

Two plots belonging to Muslim primary valued at Sh8 million each were also acquired.

Prime property belonging to the Postal corporation in Nakuru's Central Business District was also returned after a judicial process that took 11 years.