Illegally grabbed Mombasa land to host affordable housing units after EACC recovery

President William Ruto inspects construction at the Nyali VOK affordable housing project in Mombasa, part of broader efforts boosted by recent EACC land recoveries. (Photo: PCS)

By Lucy Mumbi
Tuesday, November 25, 2025

The EACC urged individuals holding titles to public land to use alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for voluntary surrender and restoration to the state.

A 2-acre Mombasa property recovered by the EACC from private developers who had illegally constructed residential units will be handed over to the Ministry of Lands and Housing for the development of 1,752 homes under the national affordable housing programme.

According to the Authority, the reclaimed parcel is part of Sh1.4 billion worth of Coast region properties recovered over the past three years.

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The land had been grabbed and developed by three individuals before the Commission intervened in 2024, demolished the structures, and repossessed it. The Ministry now plans to build 1,674 of the 1,752 units as residential houses under the affordable housing initiative.

Among the significant recoveries under the asset recovery programme is the Hobley Estate in Buxton, where 720 households are set to benefit from a Sh500 million redevelopment plan. The 4.8-acre site has already been cleared, and groundwork is underway.

Series of land recoveries

The Mombasa handover is part of a series of recoveries involving land belonging to government agencies such as the Kenya Airports Authority, Kenya Ports Authority, Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Railways, Kenya Meat Commission, Kenya Wildlife Service, Kenya Urban Roads Authority and the county government of Mombasa.

The commission’s coast regional office reports that EACC has filed more than 80 recovery suits in the past year, targeting public assets worth about Sh4.8 billion, while pursuing an additional Sh10.3 billion in properties across the region.

Some of the ongoing cases involve land near Moi International Airport, parcels excised from public road reserves, and plots set aside for government housing projects that were irregularly acquired and registered under private ownership.

Speaking at the recovery sites on Tuesday, EACC CEO Abdi Mohamud emphasised the role of asset recovery in fighting corruption.

Recoveries benefit mwananchi

“The benefits of recovering these kinds of assets move down to the ordinary mwananchi because the houses built here will not only benefit one person but many families. The commission does not recover assets for the sake of it but to ensure they benefit the mwananchi,” he said.

“This is not the only one in Mombasa. Right now, we have five other properties which we have recovered, but there are others whose cases are still ongoing.”

During the tour, Abdi also inspected other properties recovered through court rulings and Alternative Dispute Resolution, including a road reserve along Links Road in Nyali valued at Sh30 million; a KAA parcel at Moi International Airport worth Sh104 million; Kenya Railways land in Kizingo valued at Sh50 million; and two parcels along Mwambundu Road in Majengo worth Sh26.5 million.

The commission urged individuals holding titles to public land to use alternative dispute resolution mechanisms for voluntary surrender and restoration to the state.

“The commission has currently prioritised asset recovery as a key way of dealing with corruption. When these properties are recovered, we hand them over to the government to use by the public,” Abdi added.