The land in Mugoya Estate South C has been fuel for the embattled Nairobi governor Mike Sonko feud against the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC). the now arrested governor has in that past claimed that he is being persecuted for standing in the way of land grabbers who wanted to illegally acquire the public land in Mugoya Estate.
Sonko has accused EACC of colluding with the alleged grabber at the expense of public interest and accused a senior official of being a beneficiary. “Mohamud and his associates and colleagues at EACC have unreasonably initiated malicious investigations against the governor due to his uncompromising stand in zealously stopping the grabbing and fraudulent transfer of public properties within Nairobi County,” Cecil Miller, Sonko’s lawyer had said.
In his affidavit, Sonko stated that his tribulations with the EACC started in 2014 when residents of Mugoya Estate reported to him that an employee of the county had grabbed public land and sold it to a businessman. Instead of taking up the investigations, the EACC director of investigation used the information to allocate the land to himself and his personal friend.
The anti-graft agency is perhaps playing their cards wisely, now, it wants the Director Public Prosecution (DPP) Noordin Haji to approve the prosecution of 14 individuals over the alleged Sh110 million public land fraud.
The land in question was irregularly allocated by the defunct Nairobi City Council to a beneficiary and, therefore, irregularly transferred to a city tycoon. Public officials and other private citizens also received kickbacks in the process, investigations have proved.
Residents of Mugoya Estate may see a glimpse of justice, after their complaints lodged on the 23rd of July 2018 may lead to the EACC charging the businessman alongside 13 others with graft.
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