A Machakos man lost KSh2.4 million after he was allegedly conned into buying a piece of land along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway using forged documents and a stolen identity.
Detectives from Kalama Sub-County arrested the suspect, identified as David Maitha, following investigations into the alleged land fraud.
Police say Maitha had been posing as Joel Musembi Kiilu, the name of the person who was presented as the legitimate owner of the property.
According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Maitha used a fake National Identity Card and a forged title deed bearing Kiilu’s name to convince the buyer that he was the genuine owner of the land.
The buyer, who appeared to take precautions before making the purchase, conducted an official search at the Machakos Land Registry.
The search showed that the property was registered under the name Joel Musembi Kiilu, giving the buyer confidence that the transaction was genuine.
Believing that the documents and ownership details were in order, the buyer entered into a sale agreement before a lawyer in Machakos and paid KSh2.4 million for the property.The situation changed after the payment was made.
According to investigators, the person who had presented himself as the seller became unreachable.
He stopped responding to phone calls, failed to attend planned meetings and could not be found when the buyer attempted to continue with the necessary procedures to complete the transaction.
The buyer then reported the matter to the police, prompting detectives to begin investigations.
The officers eventually established that the man involved in the transaction was not Joel Musembi Kiilu, but David Maitha, who had allegedly used another person’s identity to carry out the deal.
After an intelligence-led operation, detectives traced and arrested Maitha in Mtito Andei. He was taken into police custody and was being processed ahead of being presented in court.
The case has also raised concerns about the need for buyers to go beyond checking land records when purchasing property. The DCI has urged members of the public to carry out proper due diligence and confirm both the authenticity of land documents and the identity of the person selling the property.
The incident serves as a reminder that even a successful official search may not be enough if the person presenting the documents is not the actual owner.
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