The Ministry of Interior notified Inspector General of Police Japheth Koome about eight senior police officers within Mavoko Sub-County accused of colluding with land fraudsters and fueling insecurity in the area, the Nation can now reveal.
Through a letter dated June 13, 2023, titled “Land matters in Machakos County”, the ministry named the eight alleged rogue officers and recommended that they be transferred.
The police boss was asked to ensure officers “who are firm and solid are deployed to handle the security matters surrounding the land in Mavoko,” according to the letter stamped secret, a copy of which Sunday Nation obtained.
Following the letter, six out of the eight officers were subsequently transferred.
This month, the government moved to evict thousands of people from grabbed land belonging to the East African Portland Cement (EAPCC) in Mavoko.
The demolition of buildings, which took 11 days, ended this week.
Interestingly, the eight officers were not among those who were summoned by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to record statements over events leading to the demolitions in Mavoko.
“As you are aware, Machakos County experiences perennial, longstanding and recurrent land disputes leading to the loss of lives, property, unrest and denial of rights to ownership of land. The sub-county in focus is Athi River with individual, government schemes and group land affected by land grabbing and illegal invasion,” part of the letter addressed to Mr Koome read.
“The situation is further aggravated by violent invasion of the above-mentioned land by grabbers, involvement of Lands officials and delay in conclusion of court matters on the land and collusion by security officers,” it added.
The letter identified the eight police officers who were accused of colluding with the land fraudsters to cause more problems rather than taking action against the suspects to stop the crimes.
It went on: “The laxity and inaction of a section of security officers to enforce court orders and maintain order has impeded the efforts to address the situation.”
“The underlisted officers have been identified as colluders with individuals involved in land grabbing and insecurity within Mavoko,” the letter stated, listing the names of the senior officers.
The Interior ministry recommended their immediate transfer and also asked the police chief to institute measures to deter officers from engaging in acts that exacerbate the situation.
The Nation has established that six of the officers were transferred from the sub-county but two are still serving there.
The offices that the two officers hold are powerful, raising questions whether the complaints filed over land fraud will be investigated thoroughly without cover-up.
Mr John Kenda, who is the sub-county Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, has denied involvement in land grabbing, saying crooks were not happy with his presence in Athi River.
“I am not involved in the land grabbing case in any way. These allegations have been fronted by land cartels who want me out because of my firmness in dealing with the land grabbing menace,” Mr Kenda said.
Investigations by Sunday Nation reveal that over 200 complaints linked to land fraud have been recorded in the police Occurrence Book (OB) in Athi River between 2016-2023 but little has been done to deal with the problem.
Homes on Portland Cement land demolished after Ruto directive on land grabbers
They include the current Portland parcel where houses were demolished, Drumvale, Ngelani, Lukenya and Kamulu.
Some of the cases recorded in the OB but no action was taken in the vast Mavoko Constituency include; OB number-07/11/02/2023, 04/15/02/2023, 05/15/02/2023 and 06/15/02/2023.
Others are; 14/24/08/23, 31/12/10/2023, 19/03/02/2022, 31/72/10/2023 and 02/22/09/2022.
It is due to this police laxity that on October 17, 2023, the DCI summoned six officers serving in the National Police Service to record statements over the fraud that was witnessed in relation to the land owned by EAPCC.
The six — who are not among the eight indicted by Interior ministry — were among 30 individuals summoned to record statements on the case.
“We will work round the clock and record statements from all aggrieved Kenyans who may have been swindled out of their money. Rest assured that this exercise will culminate in action against the swindlers as the DCI aims to send a strong signal that these actions mark the end of land fraudsters’ heyday in Kenya,” the DCI said in a press statement on October 17.
This week, a complaint was filed at the DCI headquarters along Kiambu Road over the five-acre Drumvale-Kamulu land. Five groups are currently fighting for the ownership of the land.
In Ngelani, prominent figures cannot access their land that has been seized by vicious gangs.
The land has been invaded by the gangs who are carrying out quarrying and they owners have been warned against venturing into their property.
In Lukenya, political connections have now been linked to the problems that the land owners are facing.
This week, the Nation contacted Machakos County police boss, Mr Patrick Lobolia, who said that he was not aware why the police officers were transferred. He said the changes were made at Vigilance House.
“I am not fully conversant with the transfers because they all came from Vigilance House, in case of any more questions contact the office of the police spokesperson,” Mr Lobolia said.
DCI boss Mohammed Amin also dot reply to questions on why the eight officers mentioned adversely in the letter are not among 30 individuals summoned to record statements over the Mavoko land grab.
This week while touring the Kenya Institute of Special Education (KISE), he said that those who have encroached on the institution’s 20-acre land will be evicted or forced to pay for the land on market rates.
