Detectives have arrested two brothers in Nakuru County over what investigators describe as a carefully planned scheme to fraudulently take over land valued at about Ksh5 billion.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, January 13, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said the land, measuring approximately 4,296 acres, has been at the centre of a long-running dispute that pitted the suspects against the property’s rightful owner.
According to investigators, the land was legally purchased more than four decades ago from Class Kenya Farming Limited through the Settlement Fund Trustees. Records seen by detectives show the transaction was formalised in an agreement dated June 13, 1977, at a cost of Ksh5 million.
However, trouble began years later when the two brothers who had been working on the property as farm managers — allegedly turned against their employer. Detectives say the pair used forged documents to lay claim to the land, arguing that it belonged to their late father.
“The investigation has unveiled that the land was lawfully acquired by the complainant and that the suspects used falsified documents to claim ownership,” the DCI said.
The dispute dragged on through the courts for years, prompting a detailed investigation by detectives. After compiling their findings, the DCI forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
Following a review, the ODPP directed that the two be charged with conspiracy to commit a felony, forgery, forcible detainer, giving false information to a public servant and false swearing.
The brothers were arraigned before the Chief Magistrate’s Court in Nakuru, where they denied the charges. The court released them on a bond of Ksh2 million each, with a surety of a similar amount, or an alternative cash bail of Ksh1 million.
In its statement, the DCI said the case highlights its continued efforts to tackle land fraud, a vice that has left many Kenyans entangled in costly legal battles and deprived of their property.
“This case underscores the DCI’s commitment to combating land fraud in Kenya and upholding justice for rightful landowners,” the agency said.
The arrest comes barely a month after detectives nabbed another suspect linked to the fraudulent acquisition of land worth Ksh200 million in Nairobi’s Karen area. In that case, the DCI said the suspect allegedly forged a deed of gift to unlawfully transfer ownership of the property.
After investigations and a review by the ODPP, the suspect was charged with forgery and uttering false documents a reminder, detectives say, that land fraud remains one of the most persistent and lucrative crimes in the country.