NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 23 — The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is under pressure to explain why it has failed to investigate the illegal acquisition of more than 301,000 acres of land at Galana Kulalu Ranch in Kilifi County, a parcel valued at over Sh15 billion.Members of the National Assembly’s Committee on Implementation have accused the DCI’s Land Fraud Unit of negligence for failing to act on the massive land grab, which involves property owned by the Agricultural Development Corporation (ADC).During a session chaired by Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje, the committee also faulted the Ministry of Lands for dragging its feet on two long-standing disputes: one in Mowlem Ward, Nairobi, and another in Magarini Constituency, Kilifi.Lawmakers questioned why the Ministry had not implemented resolutions passed by the 12th Parliament, describing its inaction as institutional failure.Appearing on behalf of Lands Principal Secretary Nixon Korir, Chief Land Registration Officer David Nyandoro distanced the Ministry from responsibility, stating that the matter falls under the National Land Commission (NLC), DCI, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).“Chair, it is the view of the Ministry that these recommendations fall under the mandate of the NLC, DCI, and EACC. Therefore, these bodies are best placed to provide a status update,” said Nyandoro.Ardhi House complicit Mwenje rejected the Ministry’s explanation, accusing it of complicity in the issuance of fraudulent title deeds.“The responsibility of issuing title deeds lies with the Ministry of Lands. I have copies of several titles here, fraudulently issued by Ministry officials. Why have you allowed the public to continue being conned?” he asked.Ainabkoi MP Hilary Kosgei described the Ministry’s report as “shallow and unconvincing,” citing a history of institutional fraud.“The Ministry has become a safe haven for fraudsters both inside and outside the system. It’s time the DCI’s land fraud unit takes over these investigations seriously.”Other members, including Lilian Siyoi, Ntutu Kitilai, Memusi Kanchory, and Chairperson Raphael Wanjala, supported proposals for the DCI and NLC to jointly implement Parliament’s resolutions.Galana Kulalu ranch grabThe Galana Kulalu case concerns the irregular expansion of boundaries at Galana Kulalu Ranch, which has displaced hundreds of locals in Kilifi.Former Magarini MP Michael Kingi, who petitioned Parliament on behalf of the affected community, told the committee the case has stalled for years despite Parliament adopting resolutions to resolve it.“This is just one of many land injustices coastal communities have endured for decades,” said Kingi.A 2022 report by the Lands Committee had recommended a fresh boundary verification exercise involving the Director of Surveys, ADC, Kilifi County Government, NLC, and community representatives to clearly establish the boundary between ADC’s Galana Kulalu Ranch (ADC 1 FR. 119/86) and the neighbouring Adu Kamale and Adu Chamari adjudication sections.The verification was to be completed within six months — a timeline that has long lapsed.The Mowlem disputeThe other dispute is tied to land reference number LR. NO. 11379/3, initially owned by Khan Nawaz, Khan Abbas, and Mehdi Khan, which was transferred to Kiambu Dandora Farmers Company Limited—a group of five representatives acting on behalf of 225 individual buyers.A dispute later arose when the five refused to transfer ownership to the rest of the members, prompting the aggrieved group to form Dandora Housing Scheme Ltd and move to court.In a 1983 ruling, Justice Kumar Sachdeva declared that the land was to be jointly owned by both the five representatives and the 225 members.Confusion deepened when the Ministry initially recognized Dandora Housing Scheme Ltd as the rightful owners and issued them a provisional title, which was later fraudulently transferred to Falcon Kenya Ltd, owned by Peterson Waithaka.A report by the Departmental Committee on Lands recommended that the NLC compensate both Dandora Housing Scheme Ltd and Kiambu Dandora Farmers Company Ltd and urged the DCI and EACC to investigate the forgery and prosecute those responsible.The committee directed the DCI to take over investigations into both the Mowlem and Galana land disputes and report back within ninety days.The Ministry of Lands and the NLC were also ordered to begin implementing previously adopted resolutions and file progress reports within the same period.“These are not just historical injustices — they are ongoing. Parliament’s resolutions must be enforced, and the relevant agencies held accountable,” said Mwenje.