Nairobi–Mombasa Highway: Fraudster Poses as Landowner, Cons Kenyans of Ksh2.4 Million

A photo of a piece of land on sale PHOTO/iStock

A man has been arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) after being linked to a Ksh 2.4 million land fraud scheme in Machakos County, where he allegedly posed as a landowner and deceived buyers.

According to the DCI, detectives based in Kalama Sub-County arrested the suspect, identified as David Maitha, following investigations into a land transaction involving property located along the Nairobi–Mombasa highway.

The suspect allegedly used the identity of Joel Musembi Kiilu, who is the registered owner of the land, and forged documents, including a fake title deed and fake ID, to convince the buyer.

The buyer conducted an official search at the Machakos Land Registry to be sure before proceeding with the transaction.

Checking Land Ownership

Additionally, the search reportedly confirmed that the property belonged to Joel Musembi Kiilu, leading the buyer to believe the sale was legitimate and he would go ahead with the transaction.

After the confirmation, the buyer then agreed to complete the transaction in the presence of a lawyer from Machakos, where the buyer paid Ksh 2.4 million for the property, not knowing it was fraud.

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Police say the deal quickly took another turn when the payment was complete, with the seller ignoring phone calls, failing to attend meetings, and being nowhere to be found before the ownership transfer process could be completed.

The buyer later realized he had been conned and reported the matter to the police, prompting detectives to launch investigations that allegedly established that the individual who had presented himself as Joel Musembi Kiilu was, in fact, David Maitha.

Suspect In Custody

According to the DCI, detectives traced the suspect to Mtito Andei, where he was arrested during what detectives described as an intelligence-led operation.

The suspect is in police custody undergoing processing ahead of his arraignment in court.

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The DCI has urged members of the public to exercise greater caution when purchasing land, noting that verifying ownership through a land registry search alone may not be sufficient.

Land buyers have also been advised to confirm the identity of people who are identifying as buyers and ensure all important documents are authentic before making a transfer of funds.

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