NAIROBI, Kenya — A Senate committee has intensified investigations into the controversial Jamii Bora Housing Project in Kisaju, Kajiado County, where hundreds of residents claim to have been duped into buying homes sitting on disputed land. The saga escalated on Friday when Swedish architect Ms. Sofia Ingrid, linked to the development, appeared before the Senate Committee on Roads, Housing and Transportation for questioning.
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The committee, chaired by Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, is probing allegations of double allocation, illegal construction, irregular land transactions, and the disappearance of critical land records. The inquiry follows public outrage from residents who discovered that the land on which their homes sit had been sold to multiple buyers, sparking fears of possible eviction and financial loss.
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Appearing before the committee, Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku confirmed irregularities in the original allocation of the mother title, which he said was initially intended to settle vulnerable families from informal settlements. He revealed that the objective later “switched to commercial interests,” prompting the county to revoke the mother title due to what he termed “clear foul play.”
“We are dealing with an amorphous entity that borders on criminality,” Governor Lenku stated. “Jamii Bora’s structure and compliance with county laws remain unclear. Rent and land rates must follow the law—Jamii Bora is not special.”
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Lenku further disclosed that although 710 units were approved, an additional 117 units were constructed without county authorization, deepening concerns about planning violations and safety risks.
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The county’s CEC for Lands, Hamilton Lekuka Parseina, told the Senate that processing title deeds for the residents remains impossible due to existing restrictions placed on the mother title.
“As a county we abide by the law. We cannot process title deeds under restriction. We would be liable,” Parseina said.
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One such restriction was placed in 2013 at the request of petitioner Samuel Wahome, who told the committee he sought the order to prevent a bank auction amid Jamii Bora loan defaults.
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Committee Chair Sen. Oketch pressed developer representative Ms. Sofia Ingrid to explain the years-long delay in issuing individual titles.
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Ingrid assured senators that all homeowners would receive their titles by January 2026, revealing that the previously missing green card—an essential land registry document—had now been recovered at the Ministry of Lands.
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She appealed to the county not to demolish the 117 unapproved units, saying residents were innocent buyers.
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Ingrid also disclosed she had negotiated a Ksh. 17 million land rate reduction, paid via a loan from Kingdom Bank in June 2023.
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Jack Kimathi, Kingdom Bank’s Head of Legal Services, confirmed that in 2013 the bank initiated the conversion of the land from freehold to leasehold, a critical step toward issuing individual title deeds. However, he stated that the developer must sign a surrender of the current title to enable the process to conclude.
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Governor Lenku insisted that the developer must fully comply with county regulations, including paying all land rates.
“We will give direction once all documents are submitted within a week,” he said.
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The petitioners, led by chairman Calvin Munayi, urged all parties—the county, developer, and bank—to urgently collaborate to deliver long-pending title deeds to residents.
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Senator Peris Tobiko emphasized that all 117 unapproved units were paid for in cash, therefore the developer must take responsibility by surrendering the title and regularizing the project.
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CEC Parseina echoed that the developer must clear land rates, pay approval fees for the illegal units, and submit subdivision fees before the county can take any further action.
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While the Senate inquiry progresses, hundreds of Jamii Bora homeowners remain anxious, uncertain whether they will eventually secure legal ownership of their homes—or whether the scandal will expose deeper layers of fraud.
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The Senate Committee is expected to release comprehensive recommendations once all stakeholders submit the required documentation.
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