Police efforts to crack down on rising land fraud in Kenya’s coastal region have led to the arraignment of a high-profile suspect at the Shanzu Law Courts.
Victor Katana Mganga, a personal assistant to a Member of Parliament from the coast, was charged on Tuesday with two criminal counts — malicious damage to property and conspiracy to commit a felony.
The charges stem from a land dispute in Kilifi South involving a three-acre parcel that authorities believe was unlawfully seized by the accused.
According to investigators, the disputed land had been legally subdivided into three separate one-acre plots. In June 2024, Katana is alleged to have destroyed a perimeter wall erected by the registered owner, sparking a months-long investigation by Kilifi South detectives.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) approved the charges following what officials described as a “painstaking” inquiry. Detectives concluded that Katana was culpable in the land grabbing incident, which has been part of a broader trend of fraudulent activity in the region.
Appearing before the Shanzu Chief Magistrate, Katana denied the charges. The court ordered his remand at Shimo la Tewa Prison pending the completion of a prebail report, with the next hearing scheduled for 11 June 2025.
Land-related crimes have surged in parts of the coast, prompting calls from leaders and civil society for stricter enforcement and faster adjudication of property cases.
The MP whom Katana serves has not commented publicly on the matter.
