A former Member of Parliament and ex-Commissioner of Lands, alongside another man, has been charged in connection with a Sh 300 Million land fraud involving prime property in Nairobi West.
Sammy Silas Komen Mwaita and Brian Kiptoo Kiplagat both pleaded not guilty to the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Ben-Mark Ekhubi.
The duo are accused of conspiring to make a grant title without authority for Land Reference No. 209/9968 IR. No. 85847, with intent to defraud Rose Njoki King’au of a parcel of land known as Plot No. “A” Nairobi West, located along Mai Mahiu Road, off Lang’ata Road.
The court heard that the said land measures approximately 0.12 hectares and is valued at Sh150 million.
The two are also accused of conspiring to defraud Micugu Wagatharia of another parcel known as Plot No. “B”, also in Nairobi West, off Lang’ata Road, measuring approximately 0.12 hectares and valued at Sh150 million.
The offenses were allegedly committed on 30th March 2001 in Nairobi, during Mwaita’s tenure as Commissioner of Lands.
Additionally, the two are charged with giving false information to the police.
Mwaita faces further charges of making a Certificate of Title for both parcels in the name of Shaba Trustees Limited, purporting it to be a genuine document issued by the Ministry of Lands. He also faces two counts of abuse of office in relation to the land dealings.
Kiplagat was released on a bond of Sh10 million or an alternative cash bail of Sh5 million, while Mwaita was granted a bond of Sh5 million or a cash bail of Sh1 million.