A Malindi court has granted local police 20 days to hold two members of a team of alleged professional squatters that has given landowners sleepless nights.
Malindi Resident Magistrate Grace Muteti allowed investigators to hold Nelson Fondo and Mohamed Hamisi at the Malindi police station to allow them to complete their probe into a land-grabbing syndicate by people who have allegedly been pretending to be genuine squatters.
The two, who appeared before the Environment and Land Court, were not required to plead to any charges as investigations into the alleged land-grabbing syndicate had not been completed.
They were arrested early last week following concerns raised by the Kilifi County Security Committee led by County Commissioner Josphat Biwott, to the effect that a criminal gang known as Team Mashamba had been invading, subdividing, and selling private land in the county.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officer Jackson Maingi, in a preliminary application, said detectives were pursuing two other leaders of the gang said to be fuelling the squatter menace in the county by invading and selling land to unsuspecting Kenyans.
Maingi asked the court not to grant bail to the two accused persons, saying they could interfere with investigations should they be released before taking a plea.
He told the court the suspects were in danger of being attacked by people who had realised they had been swindled through the alleged dubious land deals.
Maingi said there had been a confrontation on one of the farms during which some people lost property while others sustained injuries.
Fondo asked the court to grant him and his co-suspect cash bail, saying he was suffering from chest pains and being kept in police custody for the 20 days could worsen his health condition.
Muteti declined his plea and set the case for mention on November 12, 2024.