A thriving real estate market in Eldoret City has unleashed a dark undercurrent of a multi-billion-shilling fraud industry involving ruthless land cartels that forge documents, fake ownership, and collude with corrupt officials, robbing families of their life savings and homes.
The promising property market in Uasin Gishu County has attracted more than just genuine investors and homeowners, also drawing in sophisticated syndicates that operate with impunity, targeting unsuspecting buyers with forged documents and fake land titles, often in collusion with rogue land officials.
The rise in land-related fraud in Kenya’s newest city has transformed Uasin Gishu County into a notorious hotspot for property scams, leaving countless of residents defrauded, displaced, or locked in endless legal battles.
Concerned about the growing trend, Uasin Gishu County Criminal Investigations Officer (CCIO), Mr Daniel Muleli, has cautioned and urged prospective land buyers in the North Rift region to be extra vigilant.
“Anyone buying land or any other property in this region must seek assistance from the DCI and other stakeholders for due diligence to ensure the legality of ownership before engaging in any transaction. Failure to do so could lead to devastating losses,” he said.
Syndicates operate with impunity using forged documents and fake title deeds, often in collusion with rogue land officials.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
In recent months, detectives have uncovered an elaborate land fraud network involving individuals posing as legitimate landowners. Some suspects have evaded justice for years, often by exploiting loopholes and weaknesses within the land management system.
Detectives have recently made some major breakthroughs, arresting suspects linked to a string of cases that have cost residents millions of shillings. One of the suspects arrested recently, believed to be a mastermind, has been on the police radar for some time. He was found hiding in Nairobi after five years on the run.
He faces charges of defrauding Eldoret contractor Martin Sawe Chemongesi of Sh8,137,700. He allegedly pretended to sell Chemongesi prime land within the Uasin Gishu/Moiben settlement scheme between August 18, 2017 and August 14, 2020.
According to Mr Muleli, the arrest is part of a crackdown on a wider network of fraudsters terrorising unsuspecting Kenyans in the region, and was a result of tips from victims who had been defrauded.
In March, another suspect was arrested in connection with similar cases.
According to detectives, the suspect is involved in a broad scheme targeting prime land around Eldoret. Accused of conspiracy to defraud, perjury, and obtaining land registration through misrepresentation, he reportedly filed an affidavit claiming occupation of a 0.0929-hectare land in the Pioneer area since 1971, and urged the court to declare him the rightful owner.
The land in dispute is valued at Sh50 million. The suspect pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court in February and was released on a Sh200,000 bond with an alternative cash bail of Sh50,000. His case is ongoing.
DCI associates both with land fraud schemes across the North Rift, and they remain at large, with arrest warrants issued.
The High Court in Eldoret is grappling with numerous land disputes, many linked to allegations of fraud. One such case involves hundreds of families facing eviction after a court ruling over a farm in Soy, Uasin Gishu.
While the Uasin Gishu Land Disputes Tribunal works to resolve these conflicts, the frequent challenges in court highlight the depth and complexity of land ownership issues in the county.
Court nullifies Sh35 million land grab near Bungoma State Lodge.
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In July 2024, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen raised the alarm over escalating fraud in Eldoret.
Speaking after a security meeting at the Uasin Gishu County Commissioner’s office, Mr Murkomen said Eldoret’s economic boom had attracted fraudsters who swindle millions through fake deals.
“A lot of fraud is going on in this city, where many students, parents, and traders have been conned. We also have a lot of land fraud in this region,” he said, directing regional security agencies to intensify efforts to bring perpetrators to justice.
“Let us not allow our people to be easy prey. I urge residents to think twice when a deal seems too good to be true. Always seek legal advice or consult government offices before committing to any transaction deal,” the CS had warned.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) recently ranked Uasin Gishu among Kenya’s most corrupt counties in its 2024 National Ethics and Corruption Survey (NECS), alongside Baringo, Embu, and Homa Bay.
In May 2024, the EACC recovered public property worth Sh3.2 billion in Eldoret, including a residential house used by a judicial officer. Other properties belonged to the State Department of Housing, Administration Police, Uasin Gishu Referral Hospital, County Fire Station, and County Assembly.
Despite some recoveries, land grabbers allegedly conspire with corrupt land officers to forge ownership documents, frustrating rightful owners.
A landmark ruling on May 19, 2025, by the Eldoret Environment and Land Court, however, marked a rare win for victims.
In Land Case E020 of 2021, trader Mr Geoffrey Kipkemboi Lelei sued the County Land Registrar and the Chief Land Registrar for using fake documents to deny him legal ownership of Eldoret Municipality Block 15/2323.
After four years, Justice Jane Muyoti Onyango declared: “A declaration is hereby issued that the Plaintiff was the lawful allottee of all that property known as Eldoret Municipality Block 15/2323 situated within Eldoret in Uasin Gishu County and is entitled to ownership, occupation, and registration as the proprietor thereof.”
Consequently, the court ordered the County Land Registrar to register the lease in Mr Lelei’s name and issue ownership documents within 30 days.
