EACC recovers public assets worth Kes100 million at the coast
Kwale County Governor Ms. Fatuma Achani and EACC CEO Mr. Abdi Mohamud at a public handover ceremony of the recovered public beach access corridor in Diani. The Governor described the repossession as a major victory against land grabbing
31:07:2026: The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has secured two court victories leading to the recovery of public properties valued at approximately Kes100 million in Kwale and Mombasa Counties. The Environment and Land Court in both matters also awarded the Commission a total of Kes20 million in general damages for trespass arising from the unlawful interference with public property and access rights.
The first recovery involves Land Reference No. Kwale/Diani Beach Block/1072, a 1.14-acre public beach access corridor in Diani, Kwale County, valued at approximately Kes45 million. The corridor provides public access from the Ukunda-Diani Road to the beach.
EACC investigations established that the property had been unlawfully allocated to a private company through a 99-year lease issued in 1994. In a judgment delivered on 14 July 2026, the Environment and Land Court at Kwale declared the lease and Certificate of Lease null and void, cancelled all related land records, and restored the property to public ownership.
The Court further found that public officials involved in the allocation had acted unprofessionally, in bad faith, and beyond their legal mandate. The Commission was awarded Kes10 million in general damages for trespass, and the defendants were ordered to meet the costs of the suit.
The recovery was marked by a public handover ceremony jointly organised by EACC and the County Government of Kwale at the restored access corridor. Speaking during the event, Kwale Governor Fatuma Achani described the repossession as a major victory against land grabbing and a significant step towards restoring justice for the people of Kwale. She commended the Commission for its commitment to protecting public assets and addressing historical land injustices in the county.
EACC Chief Executive Officer Mr. Abdi Ahmed Mohamud lauded the County Government of Kwale for its collaboration throughout the recovery process and reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to recovering other illegally acquired public assets. “We are not here to fight anyone but to provide solutions. We will continue pursuing other grabbed public properties to ensure they are returned to their rightful owners, the people of Kwale,” he said.
The second recovery relates to Land Reference No. Mombasa Municipality/Block XXVI/933, valued at approximately Kes55 million. The 0.253-acre property, which includes a high-grade government house reserved for civil servants under the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, had been fraudulently allocated to a former Senior Resident Magistrate through a 99-year lease issued in 1998.
In a judgment delivered on 17 July 2026, the Environment and Land Court at Mombasa declared the lease and Certificate of Lease fraudulent, corrupt, and illegal, ordered their cancellation, and permanently restrained the defendants from dealing with the property. The Court also awarded EACC Kes10 million in general damages, with interest accruing from the date of judgment until payment in full, and ordered the defendants to bear the costs of the suit.
The recoveries reinforce EACC’s ongoing efforts to protect public assets and reverse unlawful alienation of government property. Over the past three years, the Commission has recovered public assets valued at more than Kes1.78 billion across the Coast region, including properties belonging to the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Railways Corporation, Kenya Meat Commission, and the County Government of Mombasa, among other public institutions.
EACC remains committed to safeguarding public resources and ensuring that recovered assets are preserved for the benefit of all Kenyans.
