High Court Freezes Parklands Land Linked to Mandera Governor Adan Khalif

The directive, granted on February 2, 2026, by Justice Theresa Murigi, prohibits the governor, his agents, or any other parties from selling, transferring, developing, constructing on, occupying, or in any way dealing with the property for an initial period of six months. The orders were secured by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) as part of its ongoing probe into the alleged unlawful allocation of public land.

The disputed land, originally registered as L.R No. 209/12673 and later resurveyed as L.R No. 209/21526, was transferred to Governor Khalif in February 2021. It is situated next to North Highridge Primary School and was initially reserved for public utility purposes, such as a social hall. According to EACC investigations, the land was irregularly alienated in 1995 through unapproved development plans and without proper presidential consent under the then-existing laws, leading to private allotments despite its public designation. Similar preservation orders were also applied to three adjacent parcels (L.R Nos. 209/12670, 209/12671, and 209/12672).

The EACC's application was certified urgent, aiming to safeguard the properties during the corruption probe and potential recovery efforts. No dealings or interference with the land are allowed until an inter partes hearing scheduled for March 5, 2026. This development follows earlier court proceedings where construction on the site—reportedly involving a residential flats project—had faced challenges, though prior attempts to halt it were unsuccessful. The freeze ensures the status quo is maintained pending further investigations.