EACC recovers 26-acre school land in Karachuonyo

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has recovered a 26-acre piece of land that belongs to Nyabola Girls Secondary School in Kasipul constituency.

The land was allegedly grabbed by an SDA church in West Kasipul Ward.

Nyabola Girls Secondary School started in 1968 as a public school. It’s reported that the church converted it into a private school and renamed it Nyabola SDA Secondary School.

EACC manager in South Nyanza Kipsang Sambai said records from the Lands office indicate that the institution sits on a public land.

Sambai summoned officials from the church to explain how they acquired the land.

The Commission said Nyabola Girls was turned into a private school and property after the church allegedly grabbed it.

"The church officials are expected to show how they came into possession of the land. They registered the property on public land," Sambai said.

On Friday, Sambai together with other EACC officials, oversaw a boundary determination exercise undertaken on the site.

He said the parcel of land is registered under the defunct South Nyanza Council (the precursor to the current county government of Homa Bay) and reserved for Nyabola Girls Secondary School.

According to EACC, the church is under the Kenya Lake Conference of the Seventh Day Adventists.

The Commission said the church acquired the land, converted it to their private use and constructed an SDA church building.

Other developments undertaken on the land include a boarding school and residential houses.

The anti-graft agency is working with land registrar to enable them determine the owner of the land.

"We’re conducting investigations in bid to recover illegally acquired public properties” Sambai said.