Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko has invited the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate land cartels at City Hall’s Lands and Legal Departments.
In a letter also copied to the Director of Public Prosecution, the Directorate of Criminal Investigation, the Chief Justice and the Law Society of Kenya, the Governor has said the probe should focus on numerous case of fraud by cartels at City Hall who have been fraudulently dispossessing and transferring properties belonging to innocent citizens.
Sonko has said in the letter that so far over 10 families in Nairobi have lost prime properties worth billions of shillings after land cartels grabbed land using their connection at City Hall during previous regimes.
“The purpose of this letter, therefore, is to invite your good offices to swiftly move in with speed and investigate fraud at the Rates Department at City Hall with immediate effect,” said the governor in his letter dated October 6 2017.
Sonko has also lamented that previous attempts to undertake such investigations while serving as Senator of Nairobi were thwarted by the same land cartels.
“Unlike in the past, I wish to assure you of my administration’s full cooperation and support that would see you carry out thorough, structured, consistent, fair and transparent investigations with a view to bring the suspects to book and to face the law,’’ he stated in the letter.
In September seven Nairobi County Government employees from the Finance Department were charged for being in possession of Sh7 million in their offices, which ought to have been deposited by close of business on August 22.
The seven were arrested after Sonko and his deputy Polycarp Igathe led a sting operation in the Finance Department soon after being sworn in and made the discovery.
