Because Kenya is just the gift that keeps on giving, four men were arrested for allegedly trying to grab land belonging to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
The suspects; Mohamed Muhammud, James Opere, Jonah Tuuko and Samakin Lesingiran, appeared before principal magistrate Jane Kamau at the Milimani courts in Nairobi where they were accused of planning to grab the land located along Windy Ridge in Karen, Nairobi.
The prosecution claimed the four trespassed the property on January 3, 2022, and started searching for beacons to sell the parcel.
They allegedly used fake title deeds to claim the land that their lawyer linked to President Uhuru Kenyatta.
“They were arrested by officers from Karen Police Station and after interrogation, there is reasonable suspicion that they are in possession of a forged title which they are using to lure unsuspecting members of the public to buy the land,” State prosecutor Fredrick Kimathi told the court.
Defence lawyer Danstan Omari, who is representing two of the suspects, claimed that: “These are small people who could not get access to the land owned by the president because it is guarded throughout. They are people who were just walking along the road next to the land and were wrongly arrested on suspicion that they were checking the beacons.”
Prosecutor Kimathi asked the court to hold the suspects to allow police to conclude investigations.
Kimathi said investigators are closing on other suspects who might be behind the alleged scheme to grab the land and want the four suspects to assist them in identifying them.
Investigating officer Lawson Shuma added that the four suspects are directly connected to other accomplices and that their detention will enable him to recover the forged title.
“It will be appropriate to investigate the motive behind the forcible entry into the land noting that it is a property of a prominent leader who we do not wish to disclose his name due to security reasons,” Shuma swore in his affidavit.
Magistrate Kamau allowed police to hold Mohamed Muhammud, James Opere, Jonah Tuuko and Samakin Lesingiran for two days and directed that the matter be mentioned on January 12 for further directions.
“They will be detained at Muthaiga police station until Friday after which they will be released on a police bond of Sh30,000 each to allow police complete investigations,” ruled the Magistrate.
