A luxury maisonette built next to the Bungoma State Lodge will soon be demolished after the High Court ruled that the land it sits on was illegally acquired from the government. The half-acre plot, valued at Ksh35 million, has officially been reclaimed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) on behalf of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development.
The Environment and Land Court in Bungoma, presided over by Justice Enock Cherono, found that the property—Bungoma Township 169—was fraudulently acquired by Judy Nekoye, who later developed it into a high-end residence. The judge declared the transaction “fraudulent, illegal, null and void” and ordered Nekoye’s immediate eviction from the land.
Justice Cherono also directed the Bungoma Land Registrar to cancel the Certificate of Lease and remove all related entries from official records. He further nullified earlier dealings, including a 2002 lease issued to Charles Nyasani and Scolastica Nyakerario and its 2016 transfer to Nekoye, terming them irregular.
EACC investigations revealed that the land was part of several government plots set aside in 1961 for constructing houses for senior civil servants but was later grabbed and developed privately. The commission has since confirmed that it is pursuing 16 other prime properties in Bungoma Town believed to have been fraudulently taken from public ownership.
This ruling strengthens the EACC’s ongoing recovery efforts across the country and underscores the courts’ support in protecting public assets from unlawful acquisition.
