A brazen attempt to hijack prime real estate in Nairobi’s affluent Karen suburb has crumbled, with detectives arresting a suspect linked to a KES 200 million land fraud scheme.

The capture of Benick Otieno Okombo by the Land Fraud Investigations Unit (LFIU) exposes the dark underbelly of the capital's property market, where forgers increasingly target the estates of the deceased to disinherit lawful buyers.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) pounced on Okombo at Bruce House in Nairobi’s Central Business District following a forensic trail that linked him to the forgery of critical ownership documents.

The 'Dead Soul' Strategy

The saga began when a complainant—who had legitimately purchased the land from its rightful owner—raised the alarm. The situation was complicated by the fact that the original owner had passed away, creating a vacuum that the suspect allegedly attempted to exploit.

According to investigators, the rightful owner had inherited the property from her late mother before selling it to the complainant. However, Okombo is accused of engineering a parallel narrative.

The DCI’s investigation revealed a calculated scheme:

• The suspect allegedly forged a 'deed of gift.'
• He created fraudulent transfer documents claiming the deceased owner had voluntarily gifted him the land.
• He attempted to use these papers to override the legitimate sale to the complainant.

"The case came to light when a complainant reported that she had purchased the land from its rightful owner, who had since passed away," the DCI noted in their report.

Closing the Net

Upon compiling the evidence, the Land Fraud Investigations Unit forwarded the file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). The ODPP subsequently approved charges of forgery and uttering false documents, signaling a watertight case against the suspect.

Okombo’s arrest at Bruce House was the culmination of a manhunt aided by forensic intelligence. He remains in custody pending his arraignment.

As land prices in suburbs like Karen continue to skyrocket, authorities are warning investors to exercise extreme due diligence. "This arrest underscores the DCI’s ongoing efforts to combat land fraud and serves as a warning to individuals engaged in similar schemes," the agency stated.