A long-running dispute over a prime parcel of public land in Mavoko has intensified after detectives detained three men accused of orchestrating a fraudulent takeover of property belonging to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF).
The arrest follows a fresh review of the ownership records, raising questions about how a 2010 transfer document was used to claim land now valued at about KES 350 million.
According to a statement issued by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the suspects — identified as Harish Ramji, Ashvin Ramji, and Bharat Ramji — were traced through forensic leads and taken into custody on Thursday.
The DCI said the trio had been under scrutiny since September 2025, when NSSF reported that the disputed Arthi River plot had been illegally transferred to private owners.
Investigators reported that the land title was supported by a document allegedly bearing signatures of the NSSF Board of Trustees dated May 27, 2010.
Detectives now say the document was forged, forming the basis of a scheme involving additional accomplices who remain at large.
The parcel, measuring 3.043 hectares, sits in an area that has frequently witnessed contested land claims due to rapid expansion of residential and industrial developments around Machakos and the Nairobi metropolis.
The case was forwarded to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) after completion of the initial inquiry.
Prosecutors later confirmed that the evidence presented by investigators was consistent and sufficient, authorising multiple charges including conspiracy to defraud, making a false document, obtaining registration by false pretences, and forgery.
These offences fall within common patterns identified in previous cases involving public land, particularly where historical documentation has been vulnerable to manipulation.
The arrests revive long-standing concerns over irregular land transactions involving state institutions.
NSSF, one of the country’s major custodians of public funds and assets, has previously been embroiled in disputes over property ownership, often prompting calls for improved oversight of land records and digitisation of registries to prevent fraudulent entries.
The three suspects are undergoing processing ahead of arraignment. The DCI has indicated that efforts to trace the remaining accomplices are ongoing.
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