Head of Public Service Felix Koskei has recounted losing millions of shillings in a fraudulent land deal involving State Department of Lands staff. He shared the story during a consultative meeting with lands officials on April 15. Koskei ordered implicated officials to repay losses before dismissal.
Felix Koskei, Head of Public Service, recounted losing millions during a consultative meeting with State Department for Lands and Physical Planning officials on April 15, 2026.
He said he decided to buy a parcel of land, with his lawyer conducting searches and physically verifying ownership at ministry offices in Eldoret. “I decided to buy a parcel of land. All the documents were in order. My lawyer did a search, went physically to the ministry offices to review the file and confirmed the transaction,” Koskei said.
After payment, the lawyer discovered the land belonged to a Moi University professor. Within two weeks, official files, including the green card, were altered to show different ownership, confirmed by the owner with the original title deed.
Koskei accused department staff of manipulating records, misleading the seller, and falsely confirming ownership. “I lost the money, and the people who benefited are the staff of the State Department of Lands because they manipulated the file and green card and then turned around to correct the file,” he said.
He ordered that land officials colluding with fraudsters repay every stolen shilling before dismissal without exception. Koskei warned of stern action on credible reports of systemic fraud involving record tampering and bribery. He called for end-to-end digital land services to eliminate manual gaps.
