A woman has been charged in a Mombasa court over an alleged land fraud involving two parcels of property in Shelly Beach, Likoni, valued at Ksh100 million.

The accused faces three counts relating to the alleged fraudulent acquisition of land belonging to a registered owner, according to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).

The case centres on allegations of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining registration of land by false pretences and forcible entry, with the prosecution alleging that the disputed properties were claimed without the owner's authority.

The ODPP said the accused appeared before Senior Resident Magistrate Gladys Olimo to answer the charges.

The first count alleges that the accused conspired with other individuals who were not before the court to defraud the registered owner of the two parcels.

“They allegedly conspired to defraud Susan Wanjiru of her parcels of land, LR. Mombasa/MS/Block 1/1944 and Mombasa/MS/Block I/1945, on diverse dates between July 12, 2006, and October 20, 2026, within the Coast Region,” the ODPP stated.

The two properties are registered at the Mombasa Land Registry and have a combined estimated value of Ksh100 million.

“The two parcels of land, valued at Ksh100 million and registered at the Mombasa Land Registry, were allegedly claimed without the authority of the registered owner,” the ODPP stated.

The prosecution further alleges that the properties were registered in the names of two relatives of the accused using information she allegedly knew to be false.

The second count concerns the alleged insertion of a disputed lease into official land records, an action the prosecution says was intended to deprive the registered owner of the properties.

“In the second count of obtaining registration of land by false pretenses, contrary to Section 320 of the Penal Code, the accused is alleged to have inserted Title Lease No. Mombasa/MS/Block 1/416 into the land records at the Mombasa Land Registry on July 12, 2006,” the ODPP stated.

The prosecution alleges that the disputed lease was used in circumstances intended to deprive the registered owner of the two parcels in Shelly Beach, Likoni.

“The accused allegedly committed the offence with intent to deprive Wanjiru of the two parcels of land situated in Likoni, Shelly Beach, by inserting the lease into the land records, a fact she allegedly knew to be false,” the ODPP stated.

Section 320 of the Penal Code addresses obtaining or attempting to obtain registration, a licence or a certificate under any law through false pretences.

The third charge relates to alleged forcible entry onto the disputed premises without the registered owner's permission.

“The accused was charged with the third count of forcible entry, contrary to Section 90 of the Penal Code, in which she allegedly forcefully entered the premises in Shelly Beach, Likoni, without the authority of the registered owner,” the ODPP stated.

The alleged entry is said to have occurred on various dates between July 9, 2025, and October 20, 2026.

The prosecution alleges that the entry was intended to annoy the registered owner, an element relevant to the forcible-entry charge.

The accused denied all three charges before the magistrate.

Through her lawyer, she sought release on reasonable bond terms, arguing that she had a fixed place of residence within the court's jurisdiction.

Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Breda Ogada, who prosecuted the case, urged the court to impose bond terms appropriate to the charges.

“The accused pleaded not guilty to all the charges,” the ODPP stated.

The court subsequently ordered the accused to be released on a bond of Ksh1 million, with a surety of a similar amount.

The magistrate scheduled the pre-trial conference for November 12, 2026.

The case highlights the importance of reliable land-registration records in establishing ownership and addressing allegations of fraudulent dealings in property.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations identifies fraudulent land-title registration, forgery of title documents and forcible entry among the offences investigated in land-related cases.

However, the allegations in this case remain unproven and the accused is presumed innocent unless found guilty by a court of law.