A recovered grabbed public land in Machakos town valued at approximately Sh50 million. Photo by Virginia Siebella. 
By Virginia Siebella
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has successfully recovered grabbed public land in Machakos town valued at approximately Sh50 million.
The reclaimed properties, Machakos Municipality Block 1/623 and Block 1/624, are located along Kangundo Road and cover about 0.79 acres. Investigations revealed that the parcels were irregularly allocated to private individuals in the early 1990s.
EACC investigations established that the two parcels were originally part of LR No. 909/536, measuring 1.78 acres, which had been reserved for the Ministry of Health for institutional housing. The land hosts government House No. Mach/House/HG.14, a “pool house” currently used by the Sub-County Police Commander.
Further inquiries showed that LR No. 909/536 had been unlawfully subdivided into three parcels: Machakos Municipality Blocks 1/622, 1/623, and 1/624. While Blocks 1/623 and 1/624 were allocated to private developers, the section hosting the government house remained in public use. During investigations, the registered owner of Block 1/624 voluntarily surrendered the land to the government.
In 2019, the Commission filed a lawsuit to recover Block 1/623 from Joseph Mutuku Muia, son of former Masaku Town Council Mayor Peter M. Ndunda, and Mr. Wilson Gacanja, the then Commissioner of Lands. On 16 January 2026, Environment and Land Court Judge Justice Nelly A. Matheka declared that the land was reserved for public use and ordered the cancellation of Mr. Muia’s title. The property will now revert to the Government of Kenya.
In the past year, EACC has also recovered two other properties in Machakos County through Alternative Dispute Resolution, including Block 2/7, allocated to the Judiciary, and Block 2/936, part of Machakos Primary School land.
Addressing the media at the recovered site, EACC Director of Legal Services and Asset Recovery, David K. Too, said the Commission is pursuing assets valued at approximately Sh363 million across Machakos, Kitui, and Makueni counties. This includes 13 parcels of Kenya Prisons land in Machakos County worth about Sh60 million.
Too reiterated EACC’s commitment to recovering illegally acquired public assets and urged individuals or entities holding such properties to voluntarily surrender them for public use.
