Businessman Francis Mburu Mungai passed away on the morning of Thursday, February 20, 2025, at his home in Karen, Nairobi. Mburu was widely known for his involvement in the Ruaraka land saga, a scandal that exposed corruption within the government.
His name became synonymous with a controversial land compensation deal that saw billions of taxpayers’ money lost under questionable circumstances.
The Ruaraka land saga revolved around a 13.5-acre piece of land in Ruaraka, Nairobi, where Ruaraka High School and Drive Inn Primary School are located. Mburu claimed ownership of the land, alleging that the government had forcefully acquired it in 1984 without compensation.
Using this claim, he approached the National Lands Commission (NLC) seeking payment. The NLC, instead of conducting proper investigations, approved compensation, leading to a payout of Ksh. 3.2 billion.
Out of this amount, Ksh. 1.5 billion was disbursed to Mburu and his company, Afrison Export Ltd. However, the payments soon attracted concern, as evidence suggested that the land was public property all along.
A High Court ruling later confirmed that the NLC had misled the Ministry of Education into making the payments. Judges declared that the land was public, and the compensation process was illegal.
The ruling exposed the NLC’s failure to verify Mburu’s claims properly and its role in facilitating the loss of public funds. The court further criticized the Ministry of Education for proceeding with payments without conducting due diligence.Investigations also revealed how land records had been manipulated.
Contradictory title searches from different years suggested tampering with documents to justify the compensation. Instead of verifying ownership history, the NLC relied on Mburu’s claims of historical injustices, which turned out to be misleading.
The Ruaraka land saga also implicated former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i. Reports indicated that Mburu had bribed Matiang’i with Ksh. 300 million to facilitate the compensation process.
This bribery claim raised serious concerns about corruption in high-ranking government offices. Despite calls for accountability, no action was taken against those involved, highlighting how deep corruption runs in Kenya’s land dealings.
Mburu’s death closes a controversial chapter in Kenya’s history of land disputes. His case exposed the extent of corruption within government agencies, showing how public officials and private individuals collude to steal taxpayer money.
The Ruaraka land saga remains a glaring example of how public resources are looted in broad daylight while government institutions turn a blind eye.
This case should serve as a lesson on the need for strict oversight, transparency, and accountability in handling public land to prevent such fraudulent deals in the future.
Add Comment