Battle for Miwani: Investigation Into Ksh 2.3 Billion Land “Auction” Deepens

KISUMU, Kenya — A high-stakes investigation into the ownership of 10,000 acres belonging to the defunct Miwani Sugar Company has exposed a sophisticated web of alleged state-sponsored fraud. The disputed land, valued at over Ksh 2.3 billion, remains at the center of a “shadow battle” involving private firms, state officials, and ancestral claimants.

The conflict intensified this week as the National Assembly’s Lands Committee launched a probe into a 2007 auction that purportedly transferred the public asset to Crossley Holdings Limited. While the firm claims it acquired the land legally for Ksh 752 million to settle a debt, investigators from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) argue the entire transaction was a “legal circus” built on forged documents.

Central to the controversy is Nagendra Saxena, the man whose 1993 lawsuit triggered the eventual auction. EACC reports suggest Saxena is a “ghost figure” with no record of ever entering the country. Furthermore, the Court of Appeal previously ruled the auction “fake,” noting that no actual funds were ever remitted to the sugar miller’s receivership accounts.

“This is not just a land dispute; it is a systematic attempt to asset-strip a public entity under the guise of legal process,” stated Silas Otieno, a representative for local community petitioners. “The local farmers who rely on this land for their livelihoods are being sidelined by shadowy interests that exist only on paper.”

Despite the court’s earlier skepticism, recent cabinet-level directives have allegedly sought an out-of-court settlement. Under the proposed deal, Crossley Holdings would surrender 2,000 acres for a special economic zone in exchange for undisputed title to the remaining 8,000 acres. This move has sparked outrage among Kisumu County leaders who demand the land remain entirely in public hands.

The impasse has stalled the long-awaited revival of the Miwani Sugar mill, which has been in receivership since 2001. Thousands of sugarcane farmers in the Nyanza region remain in economic limbo as the facility sits dormant amidst the ongoing litigation.

Parliamentary investigators are expected to summon former Ministry of Lands officials next month to explain how private titles were issued despite existing caveats. The outcome will determine whether the land returns to the public or remains in private control.