Africa-Press – Kenya. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has obtained an order from the Kitale Environment and Lands Court to preserve four hectares (9.8 acres) of land belonging to a Kitale school which was illegally allocated to the Parents Teachers Association (PTA) chairperson in 1994.
This follows an investigation that revealed that the former PTA chair had obtained the school land in collusion with a former Commissioner of Lands.
Investigations conducted in 2023 ascertained the illegal hiving off and allocation of the public land that’s planned and alienated for educational purposes.
In the orders issued on July 9, Judge Christopher Nzili ordered that the former PTA relinquish control of the land, including benefiting from the privately developed facilities.
Upon being seized, the land was fraudulently converted to private commercial use and developed into a petrol station, supermarket, warehouse, and rental apartments, encroaching on critical school infrastructure.
The judge, therefore, issued five orders aimed at barring any further fraudulent activity on the land by the first respondent, the former PTA chair.
These include a restraining order against him or his associate to cease charging, leasing, developing, subdividing, transferring, wasting, disposing of or in any other manner dealing with the piece of land.
“The 1st respondent, his agents, servants, employees or assigns from are hereby restrained from controlling and or managing the developments and businesses on the suit land,” another order read.
The board of management of the school was directed to appoint a receiver for the control and management of the property within one month pending the hearing of the suit
The judge also granted permission for the opening of a joint interest-earning account in the names of the BOM and the former PTA chair to receive monthly rental income from the development and or businesses on the suit land, within one month from the date of the ruling.
“This ruling marks a significant milestone in public asset recovery, reinforcing EACC’s commitment to protecting public resources and upholding the integrity of public institutions,” EACC said in a statement.
The commission revealed that the developed land was valued at Ksh50 million, including the rental houses, a petrol station, a car wash, a supermarket, and a warehouse.
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