Aviation crisis in Kenya: Audit exposes Sh986billion KAA land grabbing scandal

A damning audit has revealed that land belonging to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) valued at nearly Sh986.5 billion is either illegally occupied or lacks proper ownership documentation, raising fresh concerns over widespread encroachment and mismanagement of public assets.

According to a report by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu, vast tracts of KAA land—including both freehold and leasehold properties—have been taken over by third parties, churches and private entities, with ownership records in many cases either incomplete or missing.

The report indicates that the affected land includes a freehold balance of Sh900.7 million and leasehold land worth Sh985.6 billion, bringing the total to Sh986.5 billion. However, the auditor flagged serious discrepancies, noting that the accuracy and ownership of the land could not be confirmed.

“Review of the land balances and the supporting records revealed various unsatisfactory matters,” the report states, adding that the ownership status of the multi-billion-shilling assets remains uncertain.

Several specific cases highlight the extent of the problem. In Embakasi, Nairobi, a parcel of land valued at Sh4.3 million was illegally excised and allocated to a third party. Although KAA successfully obtained a court ruling in its favour, the respondent has since filed an appeal, delaying enforcement. The authority has also sought eviction orders, which are still pending in court.

At Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), another parcel of land has been occupied by a third party, with the matter currently before the Court of Appeal. KAA has since fenced off the land to prevent further encroachment.

A similar situation has been reported at Wilson Airport, where land has also been occupied by a private party. In this case, the third party withdrew from a High Court case filed by KAA, leaving the matter unresolved.

At Malindi Airport, the report found that land had been irregularly allocated to a church and a petroleum company. KAA has since appealed to the Ministry of Lands and the National Land Commission to revoke the titles and facilitate recovery.

Further, at least 85 parcels of land across eight airstrips have been allocated to third parties. A review by the National Land Commission is ongoing for 46 parcels within JKIA, while KAA continues to pursue recovery of the remaining properties. In Kisumu, land valued at Sh190.8 million lacks ownership documentation altogether.

Separately, the audit also raised red flags over procurement practices at JKIA, particularly the irregular use of direct procurement. A contract worth Sh8 million for maintenance of HVAC systems at Terminals 1B and 1C was awarded through direct procurement despite prior plans to use an open tender process.

The auditor noted that the selected bidder failed to meet mandatory requirements outlined in the tender documents and that there was no proper justification for bypassing competitive bidding.

“There was no proper justification for the use of direct procurement,” the report states, pointing to serious lapses in adherence to procurement laws.