The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has intensified its focus on tracing and recovering assets acquired through corruption, revealing that it has so far reclaimed property worth Sh28 billion over the past five years.
These assets were recovered from former public officials, among them senior Nairobi and Migori county employees, including ex-governor Okoth Obado.
EACC said the recovery efforts were achieved through both court processes and its strengthened Alternative Dispute Resolution mechanisms, which have become critical in expediting the return of stolen public property.
“The Commission recently secured court orders for the forfeiture of assets valued at Sh428.6 million from former senior officials of Nairobi and Migori Counties and their close associates. These assets were linked to proceeds of corruption and unexplained wealth,” EACC said in a statement.
According to the EACC, the assets were acquired using proceeds of corruption and cannot be justified by the officials’ known sources of income
Among the forfeited properties are maisonettes under construction and several residential and commercial units located in Nairobi and Kisumu, valued at Sh193 million, and recovered from Stephen Ogaga Osiro.
In a related case filed against former Migori governor Okoth Obado, EACC also recovered properties worth Sh235.6 million from Jared Peter Odoyo Oluoch.
These include eight residential units each comprising one bedroom, a separate residential complex of twenty two-bedroom units, and a commercial property known as Sunshine Centre, all situated in Migori and Nairobi.
The Commission noted that it is managing the recovered properties through its Asset Manager, who oversees rental income collection as court-approved disposal processes continue.
“Once auctioned, the proceeds will be remitted to the National Treasury for public use,” it said.
In addition to these recoveries, EACC has said it is actively pursuing over 400 forfeiture cases that are currently at various stages of hearing and involve properties estimated at Sh50 billion.
The commission said it is also advancing legislative and policy reforms aimed at sealing legal loopholes, accelerating asset tracing, and reinforcing the overall anti-corruption legal framework.
“The asset recovery strategy includes proactive profiling and lifestyle audits of public officers to detect wealth not supported by lawful income,” it said.
The commission believes that seizing the benefits of corruption is a more effective deterrent than criminal punishment alone, as it strikes at the motive behind corruption.
“This focus is driven by the understanding that recovery of the proceeds of corruption and forfeiture of benefits accruing from corruption is more punitive than the traditional criminal sanctions alone. It takes away the whole essence of getting involved in corruption,” the ethics body said.
Once recovered, the EACC said these assets are reverted to public use in line with their original intended purpose.
At the same time , the ethics body has also recovered public land worth more than Sh300 million in Kisumu City, and has filed other cases to reclaim additional parcels worth over Sh1.9 billion.
The parcels in question, some of which were irregularly acquired by private developers, are located in prime areas of the city, including land near the residence of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
Among the key recoveries are five parcels that had been illegally acquired. Three of them, collectively valued at Sh180 million , located in the Central Business District, are adjacent to the former Nyanza Provincial Headquarters(now Huduma centre) and opposite the Central Bank of Kenya.
According to Eacc ,these plots, which were fraudulently leased to Mayfair Holdings Limited, cover just over half a hectare combined. In a ruling delivered on September 26, 2024, the Environment and Land Court declared the leases null and void and ordered that the land be returned to Kenya Railways Corporation.
The court reinstated for public use ,one of the plots, a road reserve measuring 18.2 metres in width.
In another case, the ethics body successfully reclaimed a prime commercial plot previously grabbed from Kenya Railways and valued at Sh20 million. This was after the court on July 4, 2024 ruled that the property had been reserved for public use and could not be lawfully allocated to private entities.
EACC has said it has recovered a 3.6-hectare piece of land valued at Sh100 million that belonged to Victoria Primary School. The land, located near Mr Odinga’s residence, had been fraudulently sold in 2012 by the school’s former head teacher and a member of the management committee, who are both deceased.
The court delivered its judgment in this matter on October 17, 2024, cancelling the title registered in the name of a private company and directed that the land be returned to the school’s trustees.
Also, EACC has filed two separate suits to recover parcels collectively valued at Sh1.9 billion. According to suit papers filed by EACC ,one parcel, measuring about 1.7 hectares in the Milimani area and valued at Sh700 million, was earmarked for expansion of the Kisumu Water Treatment Plant.
“After construction began, 18 individuals claimed ownership of portions of the land, leading to a flurry of court claims. The County Assembly sought for EACC’s help. The case is scheduled for hearing on July 30, 2025,” EACC said in a statement.
EACC said it seeks to reclaim the land and affirm its public utility status for water infrastructure development.
The second case involves a parcel measuring 6.5-hectarel worth Sh1.2 billion leased to Aga Khan Hospital but later fraudulently transferred to third parties. EACC is seeking cancellation of the illegal titles and restoration of the land to Kenya Railways.
“This case is pending before the Environment and Land Court and is due for mention next week on June 26, 2025,” it said.
The commission said it will present evidence to demonstrate that the land was public property designated for leasehold use by Aga Khan Hospital and not subject to private acquisition.
