The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has successfully recovered a parcel of public land valued at Ksh. 12 million in Karatina, Nyeri County, following a protracted legal battle spanning 13 years.
Details of the Recovery
The property, measuring 0.074 acres and registered as Karatina Municipality/Block II/383, had originally been reserved for police housing at Karatina Police Station. It was irregularly acquired in the late 1990s and subsequently transferred to private ownership.
On February 17, 2026, Justice Evans Makori of the Environment and Land Court in Nyeri ordered the unconditional surrender of the lease certificate to the government. The ruling followed a consent agreement between the EACC and the registered owner, Peter Thinwa Ngari.
Background of the Case
The dispute dates back to 2013, when the EACC filed suit against multiple individuals, including:
- Joseph Mithamo Wachira
- Peter Thinwa Ngari
- John Muriuki Ruthuthi (then Provincial Physical Planner)
- Wilson Gachanja (then Commissioner of Lands)
Investigations revealed that the land had been earmarked for police housing before a 1998 survey irregularly excised a portion of it. The plot was allocated to Wachira, who later transferred it to Ngari in 2001.
The unlawful subdivision and allocation were facilitated by Ruthuthi and Gachanja, despite the land’s designation as government property, making it unavailable for private allocation.
Significance of the Ruling
With the court adopting the consent agreement, the long-running dispute has been resolved, paving the way for the land to be used for its original public purpose.
The EACC urged individuals holding irregular titles to government land to voluntarily surrender them through its Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) framework to avoid lengthy and costly litigation.
