Detectives have cracked a 15-year-old conspiracy, arresting three men accused of brazenly forging documents to seize prime public land in Athi River valued at KES 350 million.

The apprehension of Harish, Ashvin, and Bharat Ramji is not just a police procedural; it represents a significant strike against land cartels targeting the National Social Security Fund (NSSF)—the very pot of money meant to safeguard the retirement of millions of Kenyan workers.

Anatomy of a Paper Trail

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) alleges the trio orchestrated a phantom transfer of the 3.043-hectare parcel in Mavoko Municipality, Machakos County. Investigators claim the suspects manufactured a reality where the NSSF had willingly sold and transferred the property to them.

According to the probe, the scheme was set in motion on May 27, 2010. The suspects, allegedly working with accomplices who remain in the shadows, created transfer documents purporting to bear the authentic signatures of the NSSF Board of Trustees.

For over a decade, the land—an asset intended to grow in value for the benefit of pensioners—remained the subject of this silent tussle until the NSSF lodged a formal complaint at DCI headquarters on Kiambu Road on September 2, 2025.

Closing the Net

Using forensic leads, detectives traced the paper trail back to the Ramji trio. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has since conducted an independent review of the file, greenlighting a raft of serious charges against the suspects.

The charges approved include:

• Conspiracy to defraud public entities.
• Making a false document.
• Obtaining registration by false pretences.
• Forgery of official signatures.

While the suspects are currently in custody pending arraignment, detectives have warned that the file remains open. A manhunt is currently underway for the remaining accomplices, sending a clear message that the passage of time is no shield against prosecution for the theft of public resources.