The long-running dispute over a prime parcel of land in Lower Kabete has once again resurfaced in Parliament, after former Provincial Commissioner Davis Chelogoi sought the intervention of lawmakers to resolve the stalemate.
Appearing before the National Assembly’s Lands Committee on Wednesday, August 27, Chelogoi laid claim to the contested property, which he alleges was allocated to him through the late President Daniel arap Moi in the mid-1990s. He told MPs that despite his numerous attempts to have the Ministry of Lands address his grievances, his efforts had been futile.
“I have gone to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) to try and explain my situation. I even requested that the officers involved be summoned, but nothing was done. This Committee is my last hope because I have exhausted all avenues,” Chelogoi stated.
The Committee, chaired by MPs, assured the former administrator that it would take up the matter. Lawmakers announced plans to summon Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome, Principal Secretary Nickson Korir, and other senior ministry officials. They also resolved to invite the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to provide clarity on the ownership saga.
“We will take up this matter and give you our commitment to invite all the persons you have mentioned. We will go through these papers, and we ask you to share any additional documents,” the Committee told Chelogoi.
The land dispute traces back to 1995, when Chelogoi claims he took possession of the property. However, a rival claimant also emerged with a separate title deed allegedly issued in 1993. The ownership row has since wound through the courts, including a criminal case in which a suspect was charged with forgery of land documents, a matter still pending.
In July this year, the ODPP told the courts that between 2020 and 2021, a suspect attempted to fraudulently alter the land records at the Ministry of Lands. The suspect, however, denied the charges in relation to the Ksh1.35 billion property. The case remains unresolved, prolonging the decades-old battle over the Lower Kabete land.
