EACC Moves to Recover Ksh 4.3 Billion Kenya Prisons Land Allegedly Grabbed

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has gone to court to recover 7.6 acres of public land in Milimani, Kisumu, which individuals allegedly excised from Kenya Prisons Service property and transferred into private ownership.

In a statement dated July 20, 2026, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the disputed land, valued at approximately KSh 790 million excluding developments and about KSh 4.3 billion including developments, originally formed part of a 16-acre parcel reserved for Kenya Prisons Service staff housing and regional offices.

The recovery process began after the Kenya Prisons Service filed a petition in February 2022 seeking investigations into the occupation, subdivision, and transfer of the land.

“The recovery action follows a petition lodged by the Kenya Prisons Service in February 2022 requesting investigations into the unlawful occupation, subdivision, and alienation of its land in Kisumu,” the commission stated.

Investigators established that authorities set aside the land for prison use under colonial-era planning in the 1960s and reaffirmed the allocation in government plans in the 1970s.

The Kenya Prisons Service had also developed staff housing on the land before the disputed occupation.

Also Read: EACC Moves to Recover KSh1.5 Billion in Ruaraka Land Scandal

EACC Links Officials to Alleged Fraudulent Acquisition in 1989

Investigations indicate that around 1989, a senior government official, together with other public officers, acquired approximately 7.6 acres of the land through processes the commission describes as irregular.

“Further investigations revealed that in or around 1989, the then Assistant Minister for Home Affairs and Heritage, acting in concert with other public officials, irregularly acquired approximately 7.6 acres of the land through fraudulent and unlawful processes,” EACC stated.

The commission also reported the use of forged documents, including allotment letters and altered development plans, in the acquisition process.

Developers later subdivided the land into 92 parcels and transferred them to private individuals.

The area is currently known as Winam Estate, also referred to as Grace Ogot Estate.

Also Read: Guns, Bullets and Phone Recovered as Police Arrest Three More Suspects in Spring Valley Robbery

The Commission Seeks Cancellation of Titles

EACC has filed cases in court seeking the cancellation of the titles, a declaration that the transactions were unlawful, and the restoration of the land to the Kenya Prisons Service.

The commission has filed nine asset recovery cases before the Environment and Land Court in Kisumu.

The commission stated that the case reflects patterns identified in investigations involving public land allocation.

“This matter reflects a broader pattern in which public land reserved for essential government functions has been unlawfully diverted into private ownership through abuse of office, fraudulent documentation, and manipulation of land allocation processes,” the commission stated.

The agency indicated that it is pursuing recovery of the land through the legal process.

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EACC moves to recover Kisumu prison land allegedly grabbed in 1989, seeking to cancel titles and return property valued at billions to Kenya Prisons Service. PHOTO/ EACC