Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is pursuing recovery of public land that has been illegally acquired in western Kenya.

According to the western regional manager Eric Ngumbi, a significant 25 per cent of public land in the urban counties of Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia is in the hands of land-grabbers.

He has, however, confirmed that the anti-corruption agency is actively pursuing the recovery of the pieces of land, which include government houses and prime properties worth billions of shillings.

Speaking during a joint meeting of all security and key government agencies chaired by the Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia at Mumias Cultural Centre in Kakamega County, Ngumbi said EACC, in the past one year has recovered government plots worth Ksh320 million ($2.5 million) with the process still ongoing.

“We also recovered some prime plots in Kakamega’s Milimani estate, with two more to follow and we are now in the process of recovering land belonging to the official residence of Kakamega South Deputy County Commissioner (DCC),” he said.

Ngumbi said in Bungoma, EACC has recovered five properties that were irregularly acquired with three more in the process of recovery, as well as initiating legal action against auctioneers involved in the controversial auctioning of Matili Polytechnic.

“In Busia, we have recovered Amoni Market land that had already been subdivided into 153 plots earmarked for sale by a land grabber,” he added.

Ngumbi said EACC had unearthed a syndicate in which some unscrupulous civil servants were abetting the grabbing of public land by intentionally absconding court cases, hence giving land grabbers leeway in winning the cases.

He warned that the government will rein in such officers. The regional manager also warned that EACC will not allow county governments to negotiate with land grabbers for compensation citing the Kibuye market in Kisumu town in which the county intended to negotiate with an alleged grabber of public land.

Ngumbi said the anti-corruption body is actively focusing on public service delivery points to combat corruption.

“When a public officer receives a bribe to compromise a service, he is a threat to the security of the nation,” he said.

He said already a number of arrests have been made, including those working at the Kakamega County Referral Hospital and at the National Registration Bureau.

Western Regional Commissioner Irungu Macharia who chaired the meeting directed all national government administrative officers and police commanders to ensure corruption prevention committees are revitalised to curb the vice.

He told heads of government departments to identify corruption hotspots at service delivery points, where bribery cases occur. He said the previous corruption perception index ranked the ministry of Interior top, saying officers have a duty to change this perception.

The meeting brought together all regional security heads, county commissioners, deputy county commissioners and their security teams as well as regional heads of EACC, National Authority against Drug Abuse (NACADA), National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) and Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

• A Tell Media / KNA report / By George Kaiga