New Evidence Prompts Request for Continued Detention in Land Fraud Case

The case involving alleged forgeries of some state Department of Lands and Physical Planning documents, under the Ministry of Lands and Public Works, has taken a new twist with the investigator seeking more days to detain the suspects.

Nicholous Osuri, a detective attached at DCI Headquarters Land Fraud Unit appeared before the Milimani senior principal magistrate Robinson Ondieki urging him to be allowed to detain the suspects for 14 more days.

Osuri told the magistrate that, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, he received a crucial new report from the Government Printer that needs to be acted upon.

The report is based on the recovered land and conveyance documents and Green Cards some of which are genuine and others are not.

The same needs to be verified and the applicant was referred to the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning for authentication.

He also said that they have contacted 153 potential witnesses who have fallen as victims in the fake titles syndicate and need to record their statements,

“Your honour we have contacted 153 potential witnesses who we need to record their statements. They came from different counties and more time will be required to finalize,” Osuri told the court.

The allegedly forged documents recovered have got their details and they will be needed to record their statements for further investigations.

He added that the investigation has further twisted after revealing forgeries of seals and stamps from the judiciary which need to be verified.

The forged seals and stamps are from the Magistrate Courts, the Land Division, and the High Court of Kenya.

In their bid to haste investigations, the applicant disclosed that they have deployed some of their officers out of the station to help in the task, record the statements and collect more evidence.

He also said that he is yet to receive the DCI Digital Forensic Investigations Unit analysis reports on submitted one laptop, 8 mobile phones, one monitor, and 3 CPUs from the forensic examiners.

The intelligence further indicates that the lives of the applicants may be in danger of the aggrieved and agitated persons which need to be protected through continued detention.

According to Osuri, 10 days granted earlier by principal magistrate Rose Ndombi were not enough since the investigation has led to further interrogation on emerging issues and new potential witnesses who need to be reached out.

The eight, Two senior lands officials, a police officer, a hotelier, and land brokers were on Tuesday (April 1, 2025) detained for interrogation over the manufacturing of fake land title documents. They include Dan Odero Okoth,Emmanuel Mutuku Matheka, Nicholas Mukuna Muyela,Livingstone Ambayi Munala,Kennedy Mulatya,Paul Mungai Kimani and Leonard Clifford Wafula.

Defence lawyers led by Felix Keaton vehemently opposed the application citing that it lacks merit and should be dismissed,

“Your honour the respondents herein have been in custody for two weeks, the period given to the applicant to conduct Investigations. It’s absurd the same officer pleading for more days an action that tends to infringe the rights of the respondents,” Keaton submitted.

He prayed for them to be released on lenient bond terms as the investigation continues.

The suspects were allegedly involved in forgeries of some state documents from Department of Lands and Physical Planning under the Ministry of Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Developments documents which include, letters of allotments, deed plans, certificates of titles, certificates of leases, transfer of land documents, indentures among others,” prosecution told the court.