The National Assembly’s Lands Committee on Wednesday witnessed a tense session as Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome appeared to address a protracted dispute involving former Provincial Commissioner Davis Chelugui and the ownership of prime land parcels in Nairobi.
At the centre of the controversy are parcels number 18485 and 233908, which Chelugui claims were allocated to him in 1995 by the late President Daniel Arap Moi. He told the committee that he obtained a title deed in 2021, formalising his ownership.
However, CS Wahome firmly rejected the claim, dismissing the documents produced by Chelugui as forgeries.
“If he claims to be the owner, then he has to bring records that are acceptable and verified. Unless he has approvals from the land registrar, the director of survey, and the director of physical planning, his ownership claim cannot stand,” Wahome stated.
She further told MPs that while Chelugui’s narrative sounded convincing, it was inconsistent with official registry records.
“He has a good story, but we have the records. His documents are a forgery. We are here to facilitate the committee to get the actual truth of the matter,” she added.
Wahome also disclosed that she had received threats linked to the dispute, but maintained her ministry would stand by government records. She confirmed that the official documents had been shared with both the Lands Committee and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Chelugui, however, accused the Ministry of Lands of denying him a fair hearing, forcing him to escalate the matter to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). His frustrations prompted MPs to summon both CS Wahome and Principal Secretary Nixon Korir for a formal explanation.
