The Director of Shaba Trustees Limited, Brian Kiptoo Kiplagat, was re-arrested on August 5, 2025, moments after being granted bail by a Nairobi court in a land fraud case. Earlier in the day, the court had released him on a bond of Ksh5 million and an alternative cash bail of Ksh1 million.
Kiplagat’s re-arrest occurred at the Milimani Law Courts, where he was awaiting bail processing. The arrest stemmed from a separate, older matter in which he had failed to appear in court regarding charges dating back to August 22, 2016. The court had issued a warrant of arrest over his absence.
In the 2016 matter, Kiplagat, while serving as a director at Al-Hassan International Traders Limited, is accused of forging a land title document in a fraudulent attempt to claim ownership of a prime parcel of land. The charge sheet states that he created a false title grant, purporting it to be authentic and issued by the Ministry of Lands. The forgery is said to have occurred at an unspecified time and location.
After the re-arrest, Kiplagat was arraigned before Milimani Chief Magistrate Lucas Onyina. His legal team argued that his failure to appear in the previous case may have been due to memory loss, allegedly resulting from a road accident in 2019 that left him disabled. Although no medical documents were presented to substantiate this claim, the defence insisted that Kiplagat requires constant medical rehabilitation and physiotherapy.
His lawyers pleaded with the court to lift the warrant of arrest and reinstate the previous bail terms, assuring the court of his willingness to comply with court appearances. They emphasized that Kiplagat is not a flight risk and maintains a fixed residence.
However, the prosecution objected to the request, noting the absence of compelling evidence for his absence and the lack of medical proof to support the alleged memory loss. The prosecution argued that releasing him would jeopardize the ongoing proceedings and undermine justice.
Magistrate Onyina ruled in favour of the prosecution and ordered that Kiplagat be remanded in custody pending trial, to ensure his court attendance. The matter is scheduled for mention on August 7, 2025, for further directions.
Meanwhile, Kiplagat also faces charges alongside former Lands Commissioner and ex-Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwita in a related case involving Ksh300 million worth of land in Nairobi West.
