EACC: Sh2.7 billion worth of assets recovered in past four months

Attorney General Kihara Kiariuki (L) and EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak when they appeared before the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs Committee at Parliament. [Boniface Okendo/Standard]

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission says it recovered 19 corruptly acquired public assets worth Sh2.7 billion in the past four months alone.

The assets recovered include a fire station, Administration Police land, judiciary land, Kenya Ports pension scheme land and cash.

Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak said they have intensified their operations against corruption in the country and vowed to go for more.

Among the property that were recovered in the period include University of Nairobi land situated along Galana Road that had been grabbed and allocated to a private company by the name of Aberdares Engineering Contractors Limited.

“Through the Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanism, the said parcel of land valued at Sh2 billion was recovered and on the 29th of January 2019 handed back to the University of Nairobi,” he said.

He added a land belonging to KPA pension scheme in Kikambala and valued at Sh378 million was recovered through ADR.

In Nakuru, the commission recovered public land that had been grabbed by private developers. One of the parcels of the land had been reserved for Survey Camp Nakuru Municipality.

“This parcel was recovered through a court process where the court gave judgement in favour of the Commission and two properties are valued at Sh42 million.

The commission said two parcels of land belonging to Muslim Primary School, Nakuru Municipality Block valued at Sh16 million were also recovered.

Four blocks with belonging to the Ministry of Housing in Nakuru Municipality Block valued at Sh69 million were also recovered.

Parcel of land belonging to Postal Corporation of Kenya in Nakuru town valued at Sh150 million was also recovered in March 2019.

The commission recovered 142 acres of land belonging to the Kenya Agricultural and Livestock Research Organization (KALRO) in Naivasha valued at Sh490 million was also recovered.

Mbarak said the Commission recovered two parcels of land meant for County Stadium in Sotik Township, Bomet County valued at Sh4.4 million through ADR.

The Commission instituted legal proceedings to recover judiciary land in Kisumu County where the Court of Appeal stands. The court ruled in favour of the Commission, revoked the title deed and ordered that the property belongs to the judiciary.

EACC is currently investigating claims of illegal alienation of government land off Bishops Road Kilimani belonging to the Kenya School of Law and valued at Sh500 million.

Since January, the commission has managed to secure 19 convictions through prosecution of criminal cases against public officers and private individuals.

They include a Bungoma County Government CEC who was convicted and fined Sh2 million for making false declaration and two Catholic University students who allegedly tried to bribe their registrar to help them graduate with a law degree.