Kenya court orders forfeiture of Sh426m in assets from former land registrar

The Milimani High Court’s Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Division has ordered the forfeiture of assets worth over Sh426 million belonging to former Principal Land Registrar Felix Mecha Nyakundi, his wife Stellah Nyaboke Otwori, and two associated companies: The Bantu Hotel & Resort Company Limited and Festemagra Investment Limited.

Justice Benjamin Mwikya Musyoki ruled that the defendants failed to explain the disparity between their accumulated wealth and Nyakundi’s legitimate income. Between 2013 and 2024, Nyakundi’s gross monthly salary rose from Sh69,660 to Sh115,630, which investigators determined could not account for the vast assets acquired.

The forfeited assets include Sh233.58 million in bank and M-Pesa accounts, properties valued at approximately Sh177.11 million—including the Bantu Hotel in Nairobi, a Mombasa penthouse, and land in Kilifi and Thika—as well as motor vehicles and Sh4.26 million in cash. Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Nyakundi exploited his position to allocate public land to his wife in violation of settlement scheme policies.