EACC seeks recovery of Kisumu prison land

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has filed civil proceedings to recover 7.6 acres of land in Kisumu’s Milimani area that was allegedly illegally excised from Kenya Prisons Service (KPS) land and converted into private ownership. The disputed property, part of a 16-acre parcel used for staff housing and regional offices, is now developed as Winam Estate (Grace Ogot Estate) with a base value of about 790 million shillings and a combined value including developments of around 4.3 billion. The action follows a February 2022 petition by KPS seeking investigations into unlawful occupation, subdivision, and alienation of the land. Investigations allege that a colonial-era reserve was manipulated in the 1980s by a former Assistant Minister for Home Affairs and Heritage in collusion with other officials, using forged documents to irregularly acquire and subdivide the land. The land was originally reserved for prison use and had staff housing built on it before encroachments occurred, with the 92 resulting parcels later transferred to private individuals. The case underscores long-standing concerns over land grabs in Kisumu and aims to restore the land to the Kenya Prisons Service.