Lands official faces arrest over defiance of court orders

Judge gavel. [Courtesy/GettyImages]

A senior Lands official in Bondo is facing imminent arrest and possible prosecution for allegedly defying multiple court orders and frustrating investigations into fraudulent land transactions in the region.

The Chairman of the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ), Justice Alfred Mabeya, has directed the Bondo Law Courts to issue a summons compelling the Bondo Lands Registrar Mr Ogise Atuti to appear in court next week.

Should he fail to comply, the court was instructed to issue warrants of arrest against him for obstructing justice.

Justice Mabeya issued the directive during a Court Users Committee meeting held at the Bondo Law Courts, following complaints from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCIO) that the registrar had persistently ignored six separate court orders.

The orders required Mr Atuti to supply certified documents used in generating several title deeds suspected to be fraudulent.

The documents are critical to ongoing criminal investigations into land grabbing in different parts of the sub-county.

"The actions of the lands registrar amount to blocking justice for the public, which is in itself an illegality," observed Justice Mabeya.

He further directed all courts in Siaya County, Ukwala, Siaya, Bondo and Madiany to fast-track land-related cases, particularly succession matters, noting that such cases are often exploited by unscrupulous surveyors working in collusion with rogue lands officials to defraud unsuspecting families.

According to records held by the DCIO's office, the six court orders were issued between April and October 2025, instructing the registrar to provide documents used to generate several questionable title deeds. Despite this, Mr Atuti is said to have remained unresponsive.

Bondo DCIO Reuben Onchoka, who is handling Land Case No. E080/2025, revealed that a family in Central Sakwa is currently embroiled in a bitter land dispute after two new title deeds numbers 4939 and 4940 were allegedly generated on their land without their knowledge or consent.

In a letter dated October 29, 2025, addressed to Bondo court prosecutors and seen by The Standard, the DCIO requested the initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the registrar. However, more than a month later, no action has been taken.

When contacted for comment, Mr Atuti insinuated that some of the disputed cases originated long before his posting to Bondo.

Reports from the Bondo Law Courts indicate that a significant number of criminal cases currently handled in the region have their origin in unresolved or poorly handled land disputes.