Former Lands Cabinet Minister Amos Kimunya has firmly denied allegations of fraud and corruption involving the transfer of public land in Nyandarua County to Midlands Limited. Appearing before the Milimani Anti-Corruption Court, Kimunya challenged the basis of the charges brought against him, maintaining that he did not participate in any unlawful transfer of the 25-acre parcel of land, which is said to have originated from a larger 75-acre plot allocated to the Njabini Agricultural Training Centre (ATC), a government institution.
Kimunya dismissed claims made by the Directorate of Public Prosecution and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, asserting that the recommendations for his prosecution were based solely on unverified claims. He criticized the EACC officer responsible for the investigation, accusing him of relying on rumours and failing to conduct thorough due diligence. According to Kimunya, the investigator, who is a trained valuer, neglected to examine critical documents such as the title deed or determine the legal ownership of the land. Furthermore, he allegedly failed to understand or consider the legal framework surrounding the Settlement Fund Trustees (SFT), under which the land in question was managed.
Kimunya stated that this lack of legal and procedural understanding led the investigator to incorrectly recommend prosecution purely based on Kimunya’s position as Minister for Lands at the time. He argued that there was no factual basis for implicating him, emphasizing that the necessary legal procedures were followed during the land registration process.
Defending the ownership structure of Midlands Limited, Kimunya explained that it is a public company owned by between 3,000 to 4,000 farmers and local stakeholders from Nyandarua. The objective of the company, he said, was to add value to agricultural produce and help stabilize market prices, not to serve private interests.
Kimunya also highlighted that the Agriculture Permanent Secretary at the time, who oversaw land matters under the SFT, had approved the land transaction, confirming that all legal procedures had been observed. He added that the PS made an erroneous assumption that occupation of land automatically conferred ownership, which led to further confusion in the case.
In his testimony, Kimunya recounted his dramatic arrest and court arraignment, which he said caused a media frenzy. He described the experience as deeply distressing, saying it had a lasting emotional toll on him, his family, and close friends, especially due to the negative public attention it attracted.
