By Ongaga Ongaga
A former Kilifi principal land registrar and his associates have been ordered to forfeit assets worth Sh426.8 million to the Government over unexplained wealth.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said the assets belong to Felix Mecha Nyakundi, his wife Stellah Nyaboke Otwori and companies associated with the family.
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The forfeiture followed a judgment delivered on September 18, 2026, by Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Court Judge B.M. Musyoki, who found that Mr Nyakundi and his associates had failed to satisfactorily explain the disparity between their assets and known legitimate sources of income.
The assets ordered forfeited include Sh233.58 million held in bank and M-Pesa accounts, properties worth Sh177.11 million, motor vehicles valued at Sh11.9 million and Sh4.26 million in cash recovered during a search operation.
Among the properties are Bantu Hotel along Kangundo Road in Nairobi, valued at Sh107.7 million, Saro Wiwa apartment block in Utawala worth Sh35 million, a Mombasa penthouse valued at Sh19 million and 11 parcels of land in Kilifi and Thika valued at Sh15.41 million.
The vehicles include a Land Cruiser Prado, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota Hilux.
According to the EACC, investigations established that between January 2013 and March 2024, Mr Nyakundi and his associates acquired assets cumulatively valued at Sh771.89 million.
The Commission said the assets included Sh467.76 million transacted through various bank accounts and M-Pesa numbers, landed properties worth Sh287.51 million, motor vehicles valued at Sh20.06 million and Sh4.26 million in cash recovered from the defendants’ residences.
During the period under investigation, Mr Nyakundi’s gross monthly salary ranged from Sh69,660 in 2013 to Sh115,630 in 2024.
The EACC said Mr Nyakundi and his associates were only able to satisfactorily explain the acquisition of assets worth Sh58.17 million.
It subsequently moved to court under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act (ACECA) seeking recovery of assets that were disproportionate to the former registrar’s known legitimate income and could not be satisfactorily explained.
The Commission welcomed the judgment, describing it as an important step in efforts to recover public resources.
“[The decision is] a significant step towards recovering public resources and ensuring that individuals involved in corruption and unethical conduct do not benefit from proceeds obtained through such conduct,” the EACC said.
