Investigations into land fraud have taken a new turn after a coordinated operation by security agencies led to the arrest of more than fourteen people suspected of being involved in illegal land dealings.
The operation, carried out by a multi-agency team under the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), targeted individuals believed to be part of a cartel responsible for producing and circulating fake title deeds and other fraudulent land documents.
Among those arrested are two land registrars and a clerk from the Ardhi House records department, highlighting the extent of corruption within key government offices.
The suspects were taken into custody over the weekend following extensive investigations that have been ongoing since December last year. Their arrest followed a formal request by Lands and Physical Planning Principal Secretary Nixon Korir, who wrote to DCI Director Mohamed Amin seeking help in dismantling networks behind fake title deeds.
The investigation has so far uncovered a wide web of forgers, middlemen, and officials who collaborate to manipulate land records for personal gain.
As part of the operation, detectives also seized nineteen vehicles belonging to the suspects and conducted searches in their homes to recover more evidence.
According to the Ministry of Lands, the investigation extends beyond Ardhi House to other institutions such as the Government Printer and the Business Registration Services (BRS). These offices are suspected of being used to alter ownership records and facilitate the registration of forged documents. The PS confirmed that among those arrested is a key suspect who owns a printing press believed to be used to produce fake documents such as title deeds, lease certificates, and letters of allotment.
Recovered items from the raids include forged stamps, seals, allotment letters, and fake certificates of lease. The clerk who worked at Ardhi House is accused of removing genuine documents from official files and replacing them with counterfeit ones to legitimize fraudulent claims.
In a separate report released last year, the Ministry of Lands revealed that 367 blank security papers used for printing title deeds were stolen from the Government Printer in September.
The papers were suspected to have been taken by individuals working in connection with corrupt officials within the ministry, with the intention of producing fake title deeds.
The arrested suspects are expected to face multiple charges, including conspiracy to defraud, forgery of official documents, making false documents, and obtaining registration by false pretense. Court documents show that DCI’s Land Fraud Investigations Unit obtained warrants from the Milimani Law Courts last Thursday, allowing officers to search the suspects’ homes and access their phone and bank records.
Investigators believe the suspects worked together to create fake land documents that were later inserted into official land files, replacing genuine ones to appear authentic.
Some of the forged papers include title deeds, deed plans, stamps, and seals. Investigators also found that some suspects had gone as far as forging signatures of retired or deceased officials to make the documents look genuine and backdated.
These counterfeit records were then introduced into both manual and digital systems at the Lands Department, where they appeared as legitimate property records.
The fake documents were later used in court cases by lawyers to claim ownership or compensation, leading to the loss of property by rightful owners and government institutions.
Authorities say this operation is just the beginning of a broader effort to clean up the land sector. PS Korir emphasized that more arrests will follow as the probe continues, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to restoring integrity in land administration. The DCI maintains that the fight against land fraud will go on until all those involved in the syndicate are brought to justice.
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