Detectives have arrested a person of interest believed to be at the centre of a major land fraud operation involving the illegal acquisition of land registration documents in Laikipia County.
In a statement shared by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) on Saturday, April 12, 2025, the individual was found in possession of 135 title deeds, all bearing different names from various land registries across the country. The documents were discovered inside a black Toyota Vanguard, registration number KCX 035K, during the arrest.
“Laikipia detectives have arrested a person of interest, infamous for his involvement in acquiring land registration through deceitful means. Upon arrest, detectives recovered 135 title deeds, bearing different names from various land registries, all found in his Toyota Vanguard KCX 035K, black,” the statement by DCI read in part.
According to the DCI, the person of interest is infamous for using deceitful means to obtain land documents. The vehicle, which has now been detained, is believed to have been used as collateral in fraudulent transactions linked to the scam.
The man is currently in police custody and is undergoing processing as authorities prepare to present the case in court. Investigators are working to determine the true ownership of the title deeds and whether other individuals may be involved in the syndicate.
“The individual is currently in custody, undergoing processing pending arraignment. His vehicle has been detained, as it served as collateral for the illicit transactions linked to fraudulently obtained land. Meanwhile, the recovered title deeds are being securely held as exhibits in the ongoing investigation,” the DCI added.
Land fraud on rise
This comes a day after DCI applied for an additional 14 days to detain two Ministry of Lands officials and six accomplices over a title deed forgery scheme. The suspects have been in custody for 10 days.
DCI detective Sergeant Nicolaus Osuri Otieno, appearing before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Kebabe Ondieki, argued against their release on bail, citing threats to their lives from aggrieved victims and the need to protect witnesses.
Otieno informed the court that witnesses across various counties had raised safety concerns linked to the suspects’ accomplices.
He also cited the need to authenticate a large volume of recovered evidence, including forged seals and stamps allegedly from government agencies, county governments, KRA, banks, and even the Judiciary.
“The Judiciary has not been spared either, and several stamps purported to be for the High Court of Kenya – Family Division, Environment and Land Court, and the Magistrates’ Court were recovered,” he told the court.
The defence, led by lawyer Felix Kiton, opposed the application, saying the accused have been cooperative, are not flight risks, and deserve reasonable bail. “We beg you to admit them on a reasonable cash bail of between Ksh12,000 and Ksh20,000 because they come from humble backgrounds,” Kiton said.
State Prosecutor Evelyn Mutisya supported the DCI’s request, warning that releasing the suspects could compromise ongoing investigations. She revealed that electronic devices recovered from the suspects are still under forensic analysis.
Magistrate Ondieki directed that the eight suspects remain detained at Muthaiga and Ruaraka Police Stations and will deliver a ruling on Monday, April 14, 2025, at 9 a.m.