State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito has sounded the alarm over rampant encroachment and escalating security threats facing almost all State Lodges nationwide, demanding urgent parliamentary intervention.

In a shocking revelation that exposes the brazen audacity of land cartels, the sanctity and security of Kenya's highest offices have been compromised. State House Comptroller Katoo Ole Metito has formally informed Parliament that nearly every State Lodge across the republic has fallen victim to aggressive land grabbing.

Why does this matter now? The encroachment on presidential facilities is not merely an issue of stolen real estate; it represents a catastrophic national security vulnerability that exposes the Head of State and visiting dignitaries to unprecedented physical and surveillance risks.

A Nationwide Encroachment Crisis

Addressing the National Assembly's departmental committee, Metito painted a grim picture of systemic institutional failure spanning decades. From the lush slopes of Mt. Kenya to the coastal retreats in Mombasa, vast tracts of prime land officially designated for presidential use have been illegally hived off, subdivided, and allocated to private developers by corrupt officials colluding with powerful cartels. The Comptroller revealed that the original acreage of these vital state installations has been drastically reduced, hampering the ability of the Presidential Escort Unit to maintain secure, sanitized perimeters.

This brazen theft highlights the deeply entrenched culture of impunity within the Ministry of Lands and local civic authorities. For years, forged title deeds have been used to legitimise the theft of public utility land, but the targeting of highly guarded State Lodges indicates a terrifying level of confidence among the perpetrators. The government is now forced into a costly and legally complex battle to revoke these fraudulent titles and physically reclaim the stolen acreage.

The "Multi-Storey" Security Threat

Beyond the loss of acreage, Metito highlighted a chilling new dynamic: the rise of what he termed "multi-storey threats." Private developers who have grabbed adjacent lands are constructing high-rise residential and commercial buildings that completely overlook the State Lodges. This vertical encroachment severely compromises the operational security and privacy of the presidency.

• High-rise buildings provide unobstructed vantage points for hostile surveillance.
• The proximity of civilian structures severely limits the deployment of emergency aerial evacuations.
• Snipers or espionage operatives could easily utilize these illegal constructions.
• Electronic eavesdropping becomes significantly easier from elevated, adjacent properties.
• The chaotic urban sprawl complicates rapid security deployments during a crisis.

Budgetary Demands and the Recovery Effort

To mitigate this escalating crisis, the Office of the President has tabled urgent budgetary demands before Parliament. The funds are critically needed to construct massive, fortified perimeter walls, install state-of-the-art electronic intrusion detection systems, and facilitate the immediate legal eviction of squatters and developers. Metito emphasized that without adequate funding, the security apparatus cannot guarantee the safety of the Executive at these regional retreats.

Furthermore, a ruthless, nationwide recovery effort is being mobilized. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), acting in concert with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, has been tasked with tracking down the original architects of these fraudulent land transfers. High-profile arrests and demolitions of multi-million shilling properties are expected in the coming months as the state moves to violently reassert its territorial integrity.

Restoring the Dignity of State Installations

The encroachment on State Lodges is a deeply embarrassing symptom of a wider malaise affecting public land management in Kenya. The parliamentary committee has vowed to fully support the Comptroller's recovery initiatives, promising to strip away any political protection enjoyed by the grabbers. The process will undoubtedly trigger fierce court battles, as wealthy developers deploy top-tier legal teams to defend their illegally acquired assets.

Ultimately, the reclamation of these lands is a necessary assertion of state authority. The security of the presidency cannot be subject to the greedy whims of private developers. "When cartels have the audacity to build overlooking the President's bedroom, the state has lost its fear factor; it is time to bring the hammer down," declared a furious committee member during the hearings.