• EACC Western region manager Alphonse Kemboi said all the illegally acquired government land and houses will be recovered.
• Most of the grabbed government houses are in Milimani estate and are held by powerful individuals.
Image: DICKENS WASONGA
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on Monday reiterated its commitment to recover grabbed public land within Kisumu city.
The Commission said it is also focusing on recovering all government houses that were stolen by individuals in the lakeside city.
Several pieces of land belonging to government agencies such as the Kenya Prison Services, Law courts, schools, public parks and the Kenya Railways were hived off by private developers and corruptly registered them under their names.
The Commission has already recovered some of the parcels, including those that were surrendered by politicians and prominent businessmen to the state.
According to the Commission, some land cases are, however, still pending at the land and environment court in Kisumu awaiting determination.
In one interesting case where the new Kisumu law courts stand, the land was grabbed and a title issued to an individual. It is among the parcels so far recovered by the EACC.
Most of the grabbed government houses are in Milimani estate and are held by powerful individuals, even as state officers are forced to seek accommodation outside government living quarters.
Speaking to journalists at the county assembly offices in Kisumu on Monday, EACC Western region manager Alphonse Kemboi said all the illegally acquired government land and houses will be recovered.
He spoke after meeting with the top county assembly of Kisumu officials led by clerk Owen Ojuok.
Kemboi said the meeting was a follow-up on the progress of the implementation of recommendations made by the EACC to the Executive and the Assembly in 2018 after a corruption risk assessment was done.
The EACC team had a similar meeting at Kisumu City Hall earlier on Monday with Governor Anyan'g Nyong'o and top county government officials.
"They have done a good job so far. Challenges were, however, noted in finance systems management. We do a risk assessment to prevent corruption, but our core mandate remains enforcement," he said
Kemboi disclosed that the Kisumu office is currently carrying out various corruption-related investigations which are at different stages in the counties of Siaya, Vihiga and Kisumu.
"Apart from cases involving grabbed government land and stolen houses, we are probing financial mismanagement at the county government of Kisumu," he said
"At the county assembly of Kisumu, we have an active case involving suspected irregularities in procurement."
The regional EACC manager said the Commission was also doing lifestyle audits on public officers, both at the county and those in national government who they have reasons to believe are living beyond their means.
"We are also probing a case involving county government officials within the county government of Kisumu who are suspected to have embezzled millions of shillings through imprests," he said .