More than 412 acres of land in Mumias town, Kakamega county, were irregularly allocated to developers by the defunct Mumias Municipal Council, a report says.
The report was released by a five-member committee chaired by Solomon Ouko.
It implicates senior politicians and a radio personality in illegally acquiring several plots in the sugar belt town, Ouko said.
Ouko spoke at Nabongo Grounds on Friday when he handed the report to Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya.
Ouko said several acres belonging to schools and other government institutions were grabbed by influential people.
“My committee has recommended that allocation of land that was done irregularly be nullified and the Kakamega county government advertise for new applications of the same plots,” he said.
He said more than 147 plots were created unlawfully by the registrar of lands in Kakamega, who colluded with officials from the Mumias Municipal Council to defraud buyers.
The committee chairman said 285 plots were created in 2005 in Mumias town and were sold at Sh6 million.
“To date, these plots have not been given out to the buyers because the title deeds for the plots are bogus and cannot be recognised by the government,” Ouko said.
He said a lot of land is underutilised and has become a liability to the county government.
Ouko said there was rampant leaseholds alongside freeholds of land in Mumias and he cautioned investors against quick purchase of land in the area.
The task force was formed by Oparanya to look into matters of land in Mumias town.
National Land Commission vice chairperson Abigael Mukolwe, who claimed to have fallen victim of land fraud in Mumias, said the task force would help to solve internal land conflicts.
“I bought two acres of land around this town and I have learned with a lot of surprise that it falls within the government land, which is being held by individuals illegally,” she said.
The committee recommended that the Kakamega county government review all land leases in Mumias and plan the town afresh.
The national director of physical planning Augustine Masinde said Mumias will be put under the national slum improvement programme to spur development and create boundaries.
“The National Land Commission in conjunction with the county government will move to the Kakamega Lands office and clean the mess in the registry,” he said.
Oparanya asked those who have encroached on government land to move out before July.
He said teh county government will launch the re-planning process.