Grabbers of UoN Property Loot Sh211 Billion as Kenya Watches in Silence

Kenya’s top university is under siege — not by students, but by powerful insiders and greedy business cronies. The University of Nairobi, with assets worth a staggering Sh211.3 billion, has become a playground for land barons and corrupt officials.

They have carved out their wealth, leased land illegally, and diverted funds while hiding behind academic respectability. As the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission steps in, damning truths are surfacing.

The grabbers of UoN property are being unmasked, and the scale of theft is shocking. If unchecked, this scandal will cripple public education and reward impunity at the highest level.

UoN has no records showing how much income it earns from its vast property portfolio. Land is missing from books. Leases are undocumented. And beneficiaries remain anonymous. [Photo: Courtesy]

Grabbers of UoN Property Exposed as Billions Disappear

The University of Nairobi is bleeding. Corruption, greed, and backdoor deals have turned it into a crime scene disguised as a learning institution.

The EACC has launched a full-blown investigation into how UoN’s assets — estimated at Sh211.3 billion — have been looted, leased, and stolen by top officials and their partners. What they’re uncovering paints a picture of institutional betrayal and organized theft.

Last week, the commission charged council chairman Prof. Amukowa Anangwe and three others for illegally reappointing Mr. Ouma as acting Chief Operations Officer. That move, investigators believe, was part of a strategy to protect the rot and enable more illegal dealings. But the deeper scandal is far worse than one bad appointment.

The EACC confirmed it is investigating senior UoN staff for embezzling funds and irregularly leasing university land to private developers.

Properties meant to support public education have quietly changed hands. Rent payments are missing. Paperwork is incomplete or entirely absent. No one can account for where the money is going. This isn’t just corruption. It’s theft in broad daylight.

Prime Land Handed Over to Cronies in Dodgy Deals

One of the clearest cases involves a two-acre plot on Lower Kabete Road, Spring Valley — prime real estate in Nairobi. The land once had staff houses, but UoN leased it to Maar Petroleum for Sh700,000 per month in a 20-year deal.

What followed was pure impunity. The company demolished the university house and replaced it with a petrol station, apartment buildings, and a retail outlet.

They did this even after residents took them to court, arguing that such a development was illegal in Zone Five under Nairobi planning laws. A judge agreed and issued a stop order. Maar Petroleum ignored it.

The company’s directors, Yusuf Abdi Hussein and Omar Ibrahim Abdi, were found in contempt of court in November 2023 — but continued building anyway. Meanwhile, the Auditor-General flagged the lease as deeply questionable.

No one knows how the company was selected. No competitive process was followed. The lease terms were vague and suspiciously cheap. And worse — those new buildings will last 100 years.

What happens when the 20-year lease ends? Does UoN get them for free? Unlikely. Will the university be forced to buy back what was already theirs? Highly probable.

Auditor-General and EACC Reveal Shocking Mismanagement

The Auditor-General, Nancy Gathungu, confirmed the worst: UoN has no records showing how much income it earns from its vast property portfolio. Land is missing from books. Leases are undocumented. And beneficiaries remain anonymous.

This isn’t accidental. It’s a calculated move by corrupt insiders who ensure no paper trail is left behind. That way, accountability becomes impossible, and the loot keeps flowing.

The EACC is now going property by property, document by document, trying to build a case that will hold in court.

But it won’t be easy. The grabbers of UoN property are well-connected and deeply entrenched. What’s at stake is more than just land. It’s the very future of higher education in Kenya.