EACC recovers Ksh65M grabbed Kitale government housing land

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered Kitale Government housing property valued at Ksh65 Million.

The 1.732-acre parcel was declared public land by Justice Dr. Fredrick Nyagaka of the Environment and Land Court in a judgment delivered on July 4, 2025.

The court found that the land, where Government House No. KITA/HOU/HG/2 once stood, had been unlawfully allocated to the late Charles Lugano, and ordered that it be returned to the government.

The suit was initially filed by the administrators of the Estate of Charles Lugano, who sought to have the land declared private property.

At the time of filing, the beneficiaries of Lugano estate had already demolished Government House No. KITA/HOU/HG/2, which stood on the property, despite the Commission having obtained preservation orders on 9th March 2021.

Investigations by the Commission established that the land had been reserved for government housing since 1928.

The government house in question, where the Chief Magistrate of Kitale Law Courts resided, remained on the official Government Building Register and had never been leased or lawfully disposed off as required under the Government Financial Regulations.

The eviction of the magistrate in 2002 and the subsequent demolition of the house in 2021 were therefore illegal.

In its judgment, the Court declared that the allocation and registration of the land in favor of Charles Lugano were null and void, effectively making it incapable of conferring any legal interest, right, or estate.

Consequently, the Court ordered the cancellation of the title and directed that the property revert to the Government.

Additionally, the Court awarded the Commission Ksh3 million in damages for the illegal demolition of a government house that was previously on the land.

The Commission was also awarded compensation for lost rent, totalling Ksh252,000 along with full legal costs.

The damages and rental compensation received will be paid into the Consolidated Fund.