A section of grabbed public land at Shabab Ward, Nakuru County on August 10, 2018.
Different audits have unearthed shocking revelations that several parcels of land belonging to the Nakuru County Government, worth billions of shillings, may have been grabbed by individuals and private developers.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, in her latest report for the year ending June 30, 2025, reveals that the county government does not have title deeds or allotment letters for 878 parcels of land in various parts of the county.
According to the report, the land register presented for audit shows that 10 out of the 878 parcels have already been encroached upon by private developers, with no action taken by the county government to reclaim them.
“No explanation was given by the county government for the missing crucial documents, and no action has been taken to reclaim the property,” reads part of the report by Ms Gathungu.
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu.
Two reports tabled in the county assembly through the House Health Committee also contained damning findings on the status of land on which health facilities sit.
The Nation established that several health facilities, including the South Rift’s largest facility Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital are among establishments whose land lacks title deeds.
The most affected is the Ministry of Health, with records showing that more than 200 public health facilities in Nakuru County do not have title deeds.
The facilities, mostly rural dispensaries and health centres, either lack land ownership documents or have had portions of their land taken by grabbers, hampering expansion plans.
Land belonging to some cemeteries, mortuaries, cattle dips and other public utilities across the county has also been grabbed.
During a recent consultative meeting between officials from the Lands and Health departments at the Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital,Laands Executive John Kihagi said the department had deployed surveyors and other officials to help recover grabbed parcels and secure title deeds.
“The officials are to determine levels of encroachment, land size and status in line with the National Land Commission records, as we seek to revert ownership and secure title deeds for the properties. We are also ready to employ Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) mechanisms to address disputes involving some of the parcels of land where health facilities stand,” said Mr Kihagi.
Affected hospitals
According to Mr Kihagi, the county will liaise with relevant national government ministries and agencies to ensure title deeds for the institutions are processed urgently.
Some of the affected facilities are Nakuru Level Five Hospital’s Annex wing, Elburgon, Molo and Naivasha sub-county hospitals.
Following the revelations, the Governor Susan Kihika-led administration is under pressure to secure title deeds for health and other public facilities, and to recover all grabbed parcels of land.
Ward representatives have been piling pressure on the county executive to move swiftly to secure ownership documents and reclaim public land.
The reports showed that most public health facilities in Njoro, Rongai, Bahati, Gilgil, Naivasha, Kuresoi South, Kuresoi North, and Molo lack ownership documents, prompting MCAs to recommend that the Lands and Physical Planning department be compelled to begin the titling process.
The committee, for instance, established that part of the land belonging to Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital’s Annex wing, which has served residents for over 50 years, has no title deed and is registered under private ownership.
Another report tabled on March 8, 2024, indicated that Naivasha Sub-county Hospital also has no title deed, warning that the property could be claimed by private individuals.
A separate report tabled on October 4, 2024, showed that Elburgon Hospital in Molo Sub-county also lacks ownership documents.
The hospital, which sits on 3.72 hectares and serves a population of more than 36,000 people, was founded in 1960 by former President the late Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.
Land belonging to cemeteries in Molo, Njoro, and Nakuru South has also reportedly been grabbed.
Early this year, Governor Kihika directed relevant departments to ensure all government properties are properly documented to protect public land from grabbers.
Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika delivers her speech during the launch of the Nakuru County enterprise and co-operative revolving development funds at ATC Soilo on May 29, 2025.
She said the Lands department should map all government assets, process ownership documents, and take physical custody of public properties.
Governor Kihika further revealed that the county government is working with the National Land Commission (NLC) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to recover grabbed public land and assets worth billions of shillings.
The county is seeking to repossess public utilities allegedly alienated by past civic leaders and other individuals.
Nakuru County has been grappling with persistent land grabbing that has stalled multi-million-shilling county and national development projects.
The latest audit also revealed that 218 county motor vehicles lack logbooks, exposing them to risk of theft.
“The motor vehicles risk being stolen by individuals,” the report warns.
The audit further flagged more than Sh3 billion in irregular and questionable expenditures, as well as illegal fund transfers.
According to the report, the county government failed to adequately explain several expenditures and transfers.
For instance, the Auditor-General flagged questionable IFMIS transactions amounting to Sh787.4 million, noting discrepancies between payments processed and those captured in payment details.
The report also questioned the unexplained disbursement of Sh1.96 billion by the County Receiver of Revenue to another county fund, with no accountability provided.
The county is also on the spot over illegal salary payments amounting to Sh286.95 million to 1,457 casual workers outside the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Database (IPPD), raising fears of ghost workers.
A review of county revenue records for Level Four and Five hospitals further showed that 16 facilities collected Sh1.79 billion but transferred nothing to the County Revenue Fund.
Additionally, discrepancies amounting to Sh71.6 million were noted between reported and recorded disbursements.
The audit also revealed an unexplained transfer of Sh162.9 million to an unspecified account.
It further emerged that Facility Improvement Financing revenues were deposited into general county revenue accounts instead of designated facility accounts, contrary to the Facilities Improvement Financing Act, 2023, which requires funds to be retained at the facility level for approved operations.
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