The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered public land valued at Sh51 million after the registered owner agreed to surrender the property to the State.
The property, identified as MN/I/2411, measures 0.514 acres and belongs to the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA). It is located in Nyali, Mombasa County.
The recovery was achieved through an Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) settlement reached on September 21, 2026, under which the registered owner, Omar Tahir, agreed to surrender the property to the public.
The matter dates back to 2009 when the EACC filed civil proceedings before the Mombasa Environment and Land Court in ELC Case No. 177 of 2009, EACC versus Zakayo Kipkemboi Cheruiyot, Omar Tahir and Sammy Mwaita.
According to investigations by the Commission, the property was illegally and irregularly allocated in 2000 by the then Commissioner of Lands, Sammy Mwaita, to former Kuresoi Constituency MP Zakayo Kipkemboi Cheruiyot.
Cheruiyot later transferred the property to Omar Tahir, prompting the anti-corruption agency to pursue legal action seeking its recovery.
The ADR settlement brings to an end a 17-year legal battle over the ownership of the property.
EACC says the land has now reverted to the public and will be restored for the purpose for which it was originally intended under KCAA.
The Commission has welcomed the settlement, saying it demonstrates that disputes involving public assets can be resolved without prolonged litigation.
EACC is also urging individuals holding illegally or irregularly acquired public property to voluntarily surrender such assets and facilitate their return to the public.
The Commission says such action would help restore public resources while avoiding the lengthy court processes and costs associated with litigation.
The Commission says the recovery adds to its efforts to safeguard public assets and ensure that land acquired through irregular means is returned to Kenyans for its intended use.
