The case in which the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is seeking to recover a 20.17-acre parcel of land in Karen valued at Sh1.255 billion comes up for hearing on Friday, May 29.
EACC, which moved to the Environment and Land Court at Milimani, argues the land was fraudulently taken from the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC).
The matter has been brought against Property Development Company Ltd, and four other respondents, and the commission is asking the court to cancel titles that it alleges were irregularly issued to private parties.
According to the EACC, the tract in question was acquired by the government in 1966 specifically for the Voice of Kenya - the predecessor of KBC - to host transmission facilities.
The commission's investigations, the court papers state, show that over time the public parcel was unlawfully subdivided and allocated to private investors through a scheme that involved influential individuals and former senior government officials.
The EACC says the land remained public property and could therefore not lawfully be sold or allocated to private entities.
In its suit, the commission seeks a declaration that the titles issued to the named respondents are void, orders for cancellation of those titles, and restoration of possession to KBC.
The EACC also wants the court to bar the respondents from transferring or dealing with the disputed parcels pending the final determination of the matter.
The agency frames the litigation as part of a broader, intensified campaign to recover high-value public land that has been allegedly grabbed in Nairobi and other urban centres.
Karen - one of Nairobi's most affluent suburbs - has been a frequent flashpoint in land disputes involving parcels purportedly reserved for public utilities, green spaces, or institutional use.
Commentators and rights groups say such incidents highlight systemic gaps in land management, record keeping and oversight that conspirators exploit to convert public assets into private wealth.
The EACC argues that the loss of strategic public land not only strips institutions such as KBC of essential assets needed for operations, but also exposes taxpayers to potential compensation liabilities and lengthy, costly litigation.
The suit follows a string of recent recoveries and court actions by the commission targeting allegedly irregular allocations.
EACC officials say the Karen case is significant because of the property's size and strategic purpose, and because it illustrates how historical irregularities can be converted into modern private holdings.
The commission has pledged to pursue all leads and hold accountable both the private actors and any public servants who facilitated the transactions.
