Written by Andrew Kariuki
The government has repossessed a prime piece of land in Bungoma valued at more than KSh 35 million, following a court ruling in favour of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
The property, located next to the Bungoma State Lodge in the Milimani area, had been unlawfully acquired and developed by Judith Nekoye, a senior banking official, who has since been evicted.
Delivering judgment on October 9, 2025, Justice Enock Cherono of the Environment and Land Court declared that the acquisition and transfer of the parcel were fraudulent and illegal. The court ordered the Bungoma Land Registrar to revoke all related entries and reinstate the land to the State Department for Housing and Urban Development.
“The registration of all entries related to the lease purportedly issued on 24th October 2016 is hereby cancelled,” ruled Justice Cherono.
Evidence presented in court showed that the land, originally reserved by the government in 1961 for civil servants’ housing, was irregularly transferred through a chain of unlawful allocations involving former government officials. Investigations by EACC revealed that the required development and planning approvals were missing, rendering the lease defective.
Following the ruling, security officers moved in to enforce the eviction. Bungoma County Commissioner Thomas Sankei confirmed that the property has been officially repossessed and handed back to the government.
EACC’s Head of Corporate Affairs, Stephen Karuga, said the commission had already initiated the cancellation of the previous title deed and would facilitate the issuance of a new one in favour of the State.
Civil society representatives welcomed the court’s decision, terming it a significant victory in the fight against land grabbing. “This judgment reinforces accountability and protects public property from illegal acquisition,” said activist Emmanuel Were.
The recovered property will now be managed by the State Department for Housing and Urban Development for public use.
