The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Residents of Standard Media Group Sacco in Mavoko Sub-County have requested that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) look into the legitimacy of documents from the Machakos County Lands Office, citing allegations of fraud and forgery that have sparked a dispute with their neighbors at Arusha Court.
In a formal complaint filed with the DCI’s Mavoko office, the residents of Standard Court (Block 25) claim that dubious land records have been used to justify the construction of a public road through their gated community, causing distress and unnecessary conflict.
“The Machakos Lands Office insists on creating a public road through our private estate. Some officials seem to have vested interests, raising concerns about their neutrality,” stated Martin Mutua, Chairperson of Standard Court Residents, in the complaint.
The central issue revolves around two conflicting survey reports—one from 2017 and another from December 2024—which the residents argue show clear discrepancies. The 2017 report describes the disputed road as being 4 meters wide, while the 2024 report claims it is 9 meters wide. Additionally, the earlier report was only addressed to Arusha Court residents, leading to suspicions that Standard Court was deliberately excluded.
In 2017, a meeting at the Deputy County Commissioner’s (DCC) office in Athi River rejected the claim of a public road, and an arbitrator later ruled that no such road existed. As a result, Arusha Court residents began using an alternate route through Wema Court, but after further disputes, Wema residents blocked access, reigniting the demand for a road through Standard Court.
Residents are now questioning the validity of the documents and calling for an investigation to determine if officials at the Machakos Lands Office altered records to support the existence of the road.
“We urge the DCI to obtain the minutes and attendance records from previous meetings, verify the survey coordinates, and review the maps used to justify the decision. The unchecked actions of the Lands Office have caused an unnecessary conflict between the two courts,” the letter states.
The residents argue that Arusha Court already has two access roads to public roads and accuse the Machakos Lands Office of stirring up a non-existent issue. They are now calling on authorities to intervene before tensions escalate further.
The DCI has yet to respond to the petition.
