Kiambu man cries foul after being conned Ksh.2.7M in land deal

A resident of Kiambu County is in a fix after falling prey to a fraudulent land transaction resulting in the loss of Ksh.2.7 million.

The victim developed interest in a plot of land in the coveted Mugutha area of Ruiru, prompting him to initiate the transaction.

Unbeknownst to him, the purported owner was a shrewd fraudster. Despite diligently engaging the services of a lawyer to conduct due diligence, the victim adds to the alarming statistics of land fraud in the country.

In December 2023, the man, whom we shall name Jennings to safeguard his privacy and due the sensitive nature of his profession, travelled to Mugutha after his interest had been piqued by a 100ft by 100ft prime piece of land in the area.

Guided by a land broker, he was introduced to a man by the name Robert Waihumbu Ng’ang’a who purported to be the rightful seller.

Without delay, Jennings initiated the acquisition process, enlisting the expertise of a seasoned lawyer to conduct due diligence. It all appeared legitimate, until it didn’t.

“Wakati nilienda kwa plot nikaambia kijana jirani afyeke shamba, mtu akakuja na akasema shamba ni lake,” said Jennings.

His lawyer, astounded by the cunning deception, admitted that the purported seller had provided seemingly authentic details.

The name matched that of the genuine landowner, Robert Waihumbu Ng’ang’a, and the ID, KRA PIN, and title deed all aligned.

With every box ticking, the transaction proceeded, and the title deed was poised to be transferred to Jennings. However, upon submission to the lands registry in Ruiru, a startling revelation emerged; the title deed was flagged as fake.

“All the documents were labelled fake and surprisingly the documents had government seals, except the signature,” narrated Jennings.

It emerged that the land had been sold to another party; this is when another individual turned up claiming ownership of the land.

Detectives from the land fraud unit in Juja have launched investigations and manhunt for the fraudster, who surprisingly had engaged a lawyer to facilitate the sale of the parcel of land.