A sweeping investigation is underway at the Department of Lands following the suspension of three officials over fraudulent approvals and suspected rampant corruption.
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The public notice |
The officials- Hilda Ngina Mulatya, a Surveyor Assistant III, Antony Maingi Wambua- a Planning Assistant II, and Joel Kieti Francis a Works Officer 1 were suspended and a public notice published in a local daily warning citizens not to transact county business with them.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations has netted a cache of over 200 documents with signatures of approval by the suspended officials that have enabled fraudsters to grab private and public land in Mavoko Sub County where they were based.
The signatures have approved building plans,payment of understated rates,construction of perimeter walls and other allied requirements that ought to earn the county government millions in revenues.
The officials, though relatively junior, are alleged to have transacted various lucrative approvals for that ought to have been approved by their superiors- a matter that exposes the county's accountability actions on land transactions.
To demonstrate the extent of their powers, a 183 hectares- designated as Mavoko Dumping Site within Mulinge Scheme- was approved for construction of a perimeter fence by one Omar Haji Hassan. 
The plan for Mulinge Scheme
It was after the fencing that the County Government of Machakos moved in and demolished part of the wall, triggering a daggers-drawn setting that underlines the state of matters at the Department.
The spirited fight has set cartels treading their guns on Lands Minister Nathaniel Nganga.
It transpires that Hassan had approvals by Mr Wambua, acting on behalf of the County Director of Physical Planning Mr. Ingati Ajanga.
Our sources say the extent of land fraud in Mavoko- targeting public land - is deep rooted and well connected- from brokers, officials, MCAs, through to operators in the governor's office. The currency of the fight is cash, driven by a get-rich-quick mantra.
The impact of the approval given to the Mulinge Scheme property resulted in giving Hassan the impetus to present a title suspected to be fake, pay rates for the property, construct a fence arround the 183 hectares and begin to behave as bona-fide owner.
This also comes with extremely reduced rates that are informed by bribes that reach and sometimes skip players in the entire value chain.
We have also established that the bold cartels are fighting a decision to centralise approvals for building plans in Mr Ingati's office- a decision made by Mr Nganga- which is fueling the fight, even when the move was made to avert the raging fraud.
The suspended officials have disowned the signatures that are on the documents under DCI scrutiny.If then it turns to be true that the signatures are fake, it is alarming that land gangsters have toppled order within the Machakos County Government.It may also turn out to be that corruption officials forge signatures of their colleagues to outdo one another.
The entire saga is punctuated by big money, sex and brinkmanship,with players dropping names such as that of one 'Prince Charles' to attempt to sway the probe and transfer officials who impede operations along the crooked path.
The Anchor was told of a trail of sms with texts that have been sent to Governor Wavinya Ndeti, accusing other top officials of sex entreats and complicity in land fraud in Mavoko.
The investigation is also targeting the lifestyles of the officials who have acquired big properties and live large despite earning salaries in the range of Kes 40,000.
Land under investigation includes blocks set for public utilities such as schools, hospitals and Social halls.
