A former Kilifi Principal Land Registrar and his associates have been ordered to forfeit Sh426.8 million in assets after an anti-corruption court found they had failed to satisfactorily explain how they acquired wealth far beyond their known legitimate income.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the forfeiture order covers cash held in bank accounts and M-Pesa, prime properties in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kilifi, three high-value vehicles and cash recovered during a search operation.
The judgment was delivered on September 18, 2026, by Justice B.M. Musyoki.
According to EACC, the court found that Nyakundi and his associates had failed to satisfactorily account for the disparity between their assets and their legitimate sources of income.
Assets to be forfeited
The assets targeted by the forfeiture order include Sh233.58 million held in bank accounts and M-Pesa, as well as prime properties in Nairobi, Mombasa and Kilifi counties valued at Sh177.11 million.
The properties include:
- Bantu Hotel along Kangundo Road, Nairobi, valued at Sh107.7 million;
- Saro Wiwa apartment block in Utawala, Nairobi, valued at Sh35 million;
- A Mombasa penthouse, valued at Sh19 million; and
- 11 parcels of land in Kilifi and Thika, valued at Sh15.41 million.
The order also covers three motor vehicles—a Land Cruiser Prado, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Hilux—valued at Sh11.9 million.
A further Sh4.26 million in cash recovered during a search operation is also part of the assets listed by EACC.
Assets worth Sh771.8 million acquired
EACC said its investigations established that between January 2013 and March 2024, Nyakundi and his associates acquired assets cumulatively valued at Sh771.89 million.
The assets included Sh467.76 million transacted through various bank accounts and M-Pesa numbers, landed properties valued at Sh287.51 million, motor vehicles worth Sh20.06 million and Sh4.26 million recovered from the defendants’ residences.
During the period under investigation, Nyakundi’s gross monthly salary ranged from Sh69,660 in 2013 to Sh115,630 in 2024, according to the Commission.
Only Sh58.17 million explained
The anti-graft agency said Nyakundi and his associates were only able to satisfactorily explain the acquisition of assets worth Sh58.17 million.
EACC subsequently moved to court under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) seeking recovery of assets it said were disproportionate to Nyakundi’s known legitimate sources of income.
The Commission said the latest judgment was a significant step in efforts to recover public resources and prevent individuals found to have benefited from corruption or unethical conduct from retaining the proceeds.
EACC has continued to pursue unexplained-wealth cases through civil recovery proceedings, which seek forfeiture of assets where their owners cannot satisfactorily account for their acquisition.
