Two people have been convicted in separate land fraud cases after investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) uncovered forged ownership documents and fraudulent land transactions involving properties in Ruiru, Kiambu County, and Ngong, Kajiado County.
The convictions, handed down by the Milimani Law Courts, followed investigations into forged land records, fake property transfers and other illegal dealings that deprived legitimate landowners of their property.
The court imposed fines on both convicts, with prison terms to apply if they fail to pay. The DCI said other cases linked to the fraudulent land transactions are still pending before the courts.
In the first case, 72-year-old Teresia Wanjiku Wainaina was found guilty on 13 counts, including forgery, uttering false documents and forcible detainer, after investigators established that she fraudulently acquired land parcels in Ruiru East using forged ownership documents.
The DCI said the disputed parcels belonged to genuine landowners who had been allocated the land by Nyakinyua Investment Company Limited. Investigations began after advocates representing ten complainants reported that land legally owned by their clients had been invaded and fenced off by the accused.
According to the DCI, “Detectives established that the convict had forged title deeds and green cards for three parcels of land, and knowingly presented these forged instruments as genuine to investigating officers.”
The prosecution relied on evidence from a forensic document examiner, whose findings showed the questioned signatures and documents were not authentic. Witnesses also testified that they had lawfully acquired the land through Nyakinyua Investment Company Limited before discovering it had been fraudulently occupied.
Dolphina Alego convicted Wainaina on all counts and imposed fines ranging from Sh20,000 to Sh30,000 for each count, with prison terms of between one and two years to apply in default of payment.
In a separate case, Reuben Yegon was convicted on five counts of fraud over the sale of land created through a fraudulent subdivision, defrauding a couple of Sh1.9 million.
According to investigators, “Investigations established that the complainants had unknowingly purchased land created through a fraudulent subdivision of the original parcel, Ngong/Ngong/1212, whose genuine owner was the individual who had challenged their ownership.”
Following investigations, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions approved the prosecution, leading to Yegon’s arraignment on November 15, 2022.
On August 4, 2026, the court convicted him on all five counts and imposed a cumulative fine of Sh210,000 or concurrent two-year prison terms in default of payment. The DCI said additional cases arising from the investigations remain before the courts.