Recovered public land in Kitale
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered Government housing property in Kitale, Trans Nzoia County, valued at Ksh65 million.
The parcel of land known as Kitale Municipality Block 11/18, measuring 1.732 acres, was irregularly allocated to Charles Lugano, now deceased.
In a Judgment on 4th July 2025, Justice Fredrick Nyagaka of the Environment and Land Court held that Kitale Municipality Block 11/18 was not available for allocation to private individuals having been alienated and in use for a public purpose, to wit, government housing, and ordered that the same should be returned to the Government.
The lawsuit was initially filed by the administrators of the Estate of Charles Lugano, who sought to have the land declared private property.
At the time of filing, the beneficiaries of the Lugano estate had already demolished Government House No. KITA/HOU/HG/2, which stood on the property, despite the Commission having obtained preservation orders on 9th March 2021.
Investigations by EACC established that the land had been reserved for government housing since 1928. The government house in question, where the Chief Magistrate of Kitale Law Courts resided, remained on the official Government Building Register and had never been leased or lawfully disposed of as required under the Government Financial Regulations.
The Court declared that the allocation and registration of the land in favor of Charles Lugano were null and void, effectively making it incapable of conferring any legal interest, right, or estate. Consequently, the Court ordered the cancellation of the title and directed that the property revert to the Government.
Additionally, the Court awarded the Commission Ksh3 million in damages for the illegal demolition of a government house that was previously on the land.
The Commission was also awarded compensation for lost rent, totaling Ksh252,000, along with full legal costs.
