Suspected Serial Scammer Back in Custody for Land Fraud

Detectives from the Operations Directorate have re-arrested Brian Otiende Anyanga, a notorious serial fraud suspect linked to a city-wide land fraud syndicate that has plagued property owners and developers in Nairobi. Anyanga, believed to be the ringleader of the cartel, has been accused of issuing fake lease certificates while falsely claiming to work at the Nairobi County Lands Registry.

This arrest comes just two weeks after his accomplice, Lawrence Martins Ochieng, was apprehended in connection with a fraudulent land deal. The victim in the case, who nearly lost two prime plots of land in Nairobi’s Pumwani area, was duped into accepting counterfeit documents that appeared to be legitimate lease certificates. Though the fraud was thwarted before the land could be illegally transferred, the victim suffered a financial loss exceeding Sh 553,000.

Following Ochieng’s arrest on December 2 by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Anyanga went into hiding, reportedly seeking refuge at his residence along Katulo Road in Buruburu. However, after a two-week manhunt, detectives located and apprehended Anyanga, removing him from his hideout and bringing him back into custody.

Anyanga, who is also facing charges in an ongoing gold scam case, had been out on bond but will now face fresh charges in the land fraud investigation. He is scheduled to be arraigned in court on Monday at the Milimani Law Courts.

The investigation into Anyanga’s syndicate continues, with several suspicious land documents seized by the DCI currently under scrutiny. Authorities are now focusing on whether any officials within the Lands Registry are complicit in the fraudulent activities. The ongoing probe could lead to further arrests and reveal deeper levels of corruption within the system.

As the investigation unfolds, the public remains on high alert as authorities work to dismantle the fraudulent cartel that has been a persistent threat to property owners in the region.