By Chak Rachar
ANGRY prospective land buyers yesterday roughed up a leading real Estate Agent in Kisumu while accusing him of fleecing them of unspecified amounts of cash under the pretext that her would sell them assorted parcels.
The irate mob pounced on Mr. George Adada leaving him half naked.
Adada who is the proprietor of Michigen Investments which is based in Kisumu pleaded with the buyers to leave him alone but his pleas fell on deaf ears as they roughed him up.
Chaos erupted at Konya village in the outskirts of Kisumu town where land surveyors, police and lawyers had gone there in order to find the situation on the ground.
But the mob stormed the area next to Ukweli pastoral centre sending everyone scampering in different directions.
Earlier hundreds of prospective land buyers in Kisumu who claim to have lost millions of shillings to fraudsters posing as agents threatened to stage a major demonstration against the police and land officials in the area whom they say collude with the conmen.
The victims said that they will stage a major demonstration against the office of the criminal investigations department for not arresting the agents.
One of the victims Ms Leah Aketch said that she was coned by agent at Michigen Investments and has spent over 7 million shillings in developing a parcel of land at Konya in the outskirts of Kisumu which turned out to be a road reserve.
“Upon perusal of maps it has been established that the parcel of land is actually located on a road reserve’ she said.
Speaking in Kisumu Aketch said that she has severally referred the matter to CID headquarters in Nairobi.
She said that her efforts to have the conman arrested have all been in vain since the susoect enjoys protection from some officers.
Aketch said that officers at the CID office in Kisumu have been telling her that the matter is quite delicate.
She blamed officers at the land’s office in Kisumu for colluding with the conmen in order to fleece unsuspecting members of the public of million of shillings.
Aketch said she was given a parcel of land at Konya parcel number 6076 by a one George Adada only to be told that the real one is located at Dago parcel number 4020 which is located several kilometers away.
Another complainant Oliver Agnes alias Nyanaya said she had fallen victim to the fraudsters at Riat area.
She said huge tracts of her parcels of land had been sold out by some of the conmen posing as agents in Kisumu town.
Nyanza CID chief Joseph Mugwanja confirmed knowledge of some of the cases.
Mr. Mugwanja said he is aware of Aketch’s case since it was forwarded from CID headquarters for immediate action.
Documents seen by The People show that Aketch was given a referral letter addressed to the Nyanza PCIO to look into the matter.
He promised to look at the file with a view to taking action.
Mr. Mugwanja confirmed that there are some 32 cases of that nature which are being investigated by the Kisumu DCIO.
The days of those who have been fleecing people under the pretext of giving them parcels of land are now numbered.
A number of top civil servants and businessmen in Kisumu have also fallen victims of the super conmen.
Investigations have revealed that those who have been fleeced of millions of shillings have been promised parcels of land at Kibos Road, Dago, Konya, Dunga, parts of Kajulu, Riat and Kisian, Dago together with Otonglo areas.
Ends