The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recovered public property worth KSh410 million which was grabbed from Kisumu County Government.

The property comprises a prime parcel of land located in the Kisumu Dunga area valued at KSh60 million with a storey building (Sunshine Villas) worth KSh350,000,000 constructed on it by the alleged grabbers.

The commission reports that Sunshine Villas had charged the title together with other titles to the Bank of Baroda for a loan of KSh180,000,000.

The said land was reportedly set aside as an open space (wayleave) and that is currently in use by Kisumu Water and Sanitation Company Limited (KIWASCO), who have laid huge pipes that draw water from the water intake plant in the lake to the water treatment plant that is adjacent to the villas.

These pipes are 20 mm and were laid in the 1960s. The storey building and perimeter wall sit on the pipes laid by KIWASCO.

KIWASCO was concerned that in the event there was a spillage and there was need to repair or maintain the pipes, there was no access to its pipes without tampering with the building.

There was also no space for the machinery and equipment that are used to access the pipes in case of repair works. Further, the building was not safe with the big pipes underneath because in the event there was a spillage, it would lead to the collapse of the building.

“KIWASCO and the Dunga water treatment plant supply the residents of Kisumu with 80% of the water used. Sunshine Villas damaged the pipes of the KIWASCO while constructing the apartments which led to the interruption of supply of water in Kisumu for several days,” EACC says in a statement.

Due to the increase in population, there has been a need to increase and expand the operations of the water treatment plant but unfortunately, that has been hindered since the said expansion would be done through laying additional pipes on the suit property.