A man accused of planning a multi million shilling land fraud in Pangani is now in police custody after detectives tracked him down in Nairobi.
Directorate of Criminal Investigations said Francis Maina Ndegwa was arrested after he failed to appear in court for plea taking on February 19, 2026.
According to investigators, Ndegwa is suspected of being behind a scheme to illegally take over a prime property in Pangani valued at Ksh50 million.
The case was scheduled for mention at the Milimani Law Courts, but he did not show up, prompting the court to issue a warrant for his arrest.
Detectives then launched a manhunt that led to his capture.
The DCI claims that Ndegwa allegedly forged signatures belonging to a land registrar, a land administrator and several legal advocates.
The forged documents were reportedly used to obtain a Certificate of Lease in an attempt to claim ownership of the land and evict the rightful owners.
The officials whose signatures were allegedly forged have denied signing any such documents.
Investigators say the actions amount to fraudulent procurement of land registration documents, which is an offence under Section 103(1)(C)(i) of the Lands Registration Act.
The law provides penalties that include fines and possible imprisonment for anyone found guilty of such offences. Authorities argue that forging official documents not only harms property owners but also weakens trust in the land registration system.
The arrest is part of a wider crackdown on land fraud in Nairobi and other urban areas. In recent months, several suspects have been detained over attempts to illegally acquire high value properties using fake title deeds and transfer documents.
Investigators say urban land has become a major target for fraud due to its rising value.
The DCI Land Fraud Investigations Unit says it has relied on forensic document examination and intelligence gathering to uncover such schemes. Officials maintain that protecting genuine landowners remains a priority.Ndegwa is expected to be arraigned in court tomorrow.
Authorities have assured the public that efforts to dismantle land fraud networks will continue as they seek to uphold the integrity of Kenya’s property market.
