Two directors of Waki Clearing & Forwarding Agents Ltd have been charged at the Milimani Law Courts before Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru over an alleged Ksh25 million land fraud involving a property in Karen, Nairobi.
Obadiah Kamau Kihara and Hannah Wanjiku Mbatia were arrested on November 6, 2026, before being arraigned on November 9, where they faced charges of obtaining money by false pretences, contrary to Section 313 of the Penal Code.
The case stems from a land sale agreement entered into on March 30, 2026, involving a parcel measuring approximately 0.2042 hectares off Comboni Crescent in Karen.
According to investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the buyer paid Ksh25 million as a deposit towards an agreed purchase price of Ksh45 million.
Land Transfer Dispute Triggers Investigation
The transaction was expected to proceed to the transfer stage after payment of the deposit. However, the anticipated transfer did not take place, prompting the buyer to report the matter to the police.
Detectives from the DCI’s Land Fraud Investigation Unit subsequently investigated the transaction and established that the accused had received the Ksh25 million payment.
Investigators further established that questions had emerged over the property’s boundaries, prompting the vendor to pursue the amalgamation and fresh subdivision of neighbouring parcels.
However, the land remained registered under the company’s ownership, leaving the buyer without a completed transfer despite having paid the deposit based on the original title and property measurements.
The proposed changes reportedly altered the initial terms of the transaction, creating uncertainty over the buyer’s acquisition of the property.
Directors Deny Charges, Granted Bond
After completing investigations, the DCI forwarded the case file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), which approved charges against the two directors.
Both Kihara and Mbatia denied the allegations when they appeared before the court.
They were released on a bond of Ksh100,000 each or an alternative cash bail of Ksh50,000.
The matter is scheduled for mention on November 24, 2026.
