The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has flagged Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi for alleged interference in the recovery of grabbed public land.
EACC on Thursday, May 30, 2024, said that CS Linturi had filed a notice through the Office of the Attorney General requesting withdrawal of the case filed to recover the land valued at Ksh500 million.
According to EACC spokesperson Eric Gumbi, the Agriculture CS was seeking for withdrawal of the case in a bid to repossess the public land grabbed in Nyandarua County.
Ngumbi revealed that Linturi wanted alternative dispute resolution, but the commission shut down the request.
“We have 50 acres of Njambini Agricultural Training Center which is currently in court and the commission is at the moment opposing a move by the attorney general who is seeking to withdraw that case,” said Ngumbi.
According to the spokesperson, the said case had around 10 witnesses where nine of them have already given evidence with one witness remaining.
Linturi Roped in Ksh500 M grabbed land case
EACC says the company sued for grabbing 50 acres of land valued at Ksh500 million belongs to a former cabinet secretary for Lands.
The commission however insists that the disputed land is the property of Njambini agricultural Training Center.
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“Njambini agricultural Training Center standing on 50 acres of land is worth over 500 million Kenya Shillings the commission is in court pursuing recovery of that land where we want the title deed declared and void, we have opposed a bid to withdraw that case because the ministry says that it intends to handle the matter administratively but that is a matter already under the
Further, EACC noted that it has filed suits to recover public land and government houses grabbed in Nyahururu Nyeri and Nanyuki.
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Among those targeted by the suits are former top state officials including a former CS for lands, a former high court judge, a former provincial commissioner and former Commissioners for lands in other recovery efforts.
EACC Recovers grabbed lands
Ngumbi added that the commission has successfully recovered a parcel of land grabbed from the regional commissioner’s residence in Nyeri town.
He revealed that the land was sold by a former Central Kenya provincial commissioner that was fraudulently hived by private individuals in collusion with corrupt land officials in central Kenya alone.
“The commission is pursuing public properties worth Ksh 5.2 billion that includes government houses and a land that had been set aside for expansion of government facilities cumulatively worth 52 billion Shillings,” added Ngumbi
The Anti-graft body has also raised concern over the increase in incidents of Governors using close family members to steal public funds.
Out of 10 Governors facing corruption charges nine have been charged alongside their family members or close.
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