NAIROBI, KENYA – In a decisive victory for environmental conservation and public accountability, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered a prime 17.5-acre (7.11-hectare) parcel of land valued at KSh 2.8 billion that was illegally carved out of Karura Forest and land reserved for the Kenya Technical Teachers College (KTTC). The recovery follows a landmark judgment delivered on Thursday, October 23, 2025, by Justice David Mwangi of Nairobi's Environment and Land Court, which concluded an 18-year legal battle.

The ruling nullified the title deed held by Gigiri Court Limited, a company linked to the late powerful former cabinet minister John Joseph Kamotho. The court found that the land's allocation was fraudulent and in direct violation of the Forest Act and the Government Lands Act, rendering the title illegitimate from the start. This judgment reaffirms the constitutional principle under Article 40(6), which states that property rights do not extend to assets acquired unlawfully.

Anatomy of a Land Grab

The court case, first filed in 2007 by the EACC's predecessor, the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, unraveled a complex scheme of illegal transactions spanning from 1987 to 1995. Investigations presented by the EACC revealed that the scheme began with the illegal allocation of two separate public plots. The first was a 0.566-hectare parcel (Nairobi Block 91/130) reserved for the Kenya Technical Teachers College. The second was a 2.5-hectare portion illegally excised from the protected Karura Forest.

These two plots were then illegally amalgamated to create a new title, Nairobi Block 91/333, which was registered in 1994 under Gigiri Court Limited. Subsequently, the company commissioned a private survey that unlawfully annexed an additional 3.8 hectares from Karura Forest, creating the final 7.11-hectare parcel, registered as Nairobi Block 91/386. The late minister later sold the company, along with the illegally acquired land, to private individuals for KSh 6 million.

In his ruling, Justice Mwangi held former Commissioners of Lands Wilson Gacanja and James Raymond Njenga personally liable for facilitating the illegal transactions, stating they acted beyond their legal authority.

A Victory for Conservation and Justice

Speaking to the press on Tuesday, October 28, 2025, after touring the recovered site, EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud hailed the judgment as a monumental win. “This judgment marks a major victory for the protection of public land. The recovered parcel, reserved partly as forest land and partly as institutional land, now reverts to the public and remains public property,” Mohamud stated. He affirmed the commission's unwavering commitment to recovering all illegally acquired public assets for the benefit of Kenyans.

The Kenya Forest Service (KFS) also welcomed the decision. Beatrice Mbula, the KFS Deputy Chief Conservator of Forests, said the ruling was a significant step in combating the persistent challenge of forest encroachment and land grabbing. “We are glad that this parcel that had been grabbed is now back to our protection and we will continue protecting all our resources,” Mbula said on October 28, 2025.

Of the recovered land, approximately 16 acres will revert to Karura Forest, while the remaining portion will be restored to the Kenya Technical Teachers College.

The Enduring Legacy of Karura Forest

Karura Forest, one of Africa's largest urban gazetted forests, is often called the “lungs of Nairobi.” Its preservation is a testament to fierce civic activism, most notably led by the late Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai. In the late 1990s, Maathai and the Green Belt Movement led protests against government-sanctioned plans to excise parts of the forest for private development, facing violent resistance in the process. Their efforts saved the forest from widespread destruction and transformed it into a symbol of environmental stewardship in Kenya.

This court victory builds on that legacy, sending a strong deterrent message to individuals involved in the grabbing of public land. The EACC has intensified its asset recovery efforts, filing over 80 such suits in the past year targeting assets worth approximately KSh 4.8 billion. This ruling underscores the judiciary's role in safeguarding Kenya's natural heritage and upholding the rule of law against historical injustices.