By Alloys Musyoka

A man has been brought before the Shanzu Law Courts following a multi-million-shilling land scam involving fake county government documents and impersonation

Ernest Arigi, alias Charles, was arrested by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives attached to the Bamburi Police Station on October 22, 2026.

He faces four criminal charges after allegedly defrauding a complainant of Ksh 4.9 million by masquerading as a Mombasa County Government employee.

According to formal charge sheets approved by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) on October 26, 2026, the suspect orchestrated a two-year scheme targeting unsuspecting land investors.

Breakdown of the Charges

The prosecution has leveled four distinct counts against the accused:

Count I: Obtaining Money by False Pretences (Section 313 of the Penal Code): The court heard that between 2023 and 2025 within Mombasa County, the accused jointly with another person not before the court, defrauded Hananel Adini of Ksh 4,900,000.

He falsely pretended that he was in a position to facilitate the leasing of a plot by virtue of his employment at the County Government of Mombasa

Count II: Personating a Person in the Public Service (Section 105 of the Penal Code): Arigi is accused of falsely presenting himself to the complainant as an employee of the local county administration capable of allocations and leases

Count III: Making a False Document (Section 347a as read with Section 349 of the Penal Code): The accused allegedly forged official regulatory approvals to seal the deal.

These included a fraudulent lease approval document (No. CGM/LH$UP/BM 1023/2022-2025), a bidding receipt, and a fake construction acknowledgment letter purportedly issued by NEMA and the County Government of Mombasa for plot No. MOMBASA/NYALI/MN/251.

Count IV: Refusing to Permit Fingerprints to be Taken (Section 55(5) of the National Police Service Act No. 11A of 2011): Following his arrest, Arigi further complicated his case on October 23, 2026, at Bamburi Police Station by willfully refusing to allow Cpl Lucas Masinde to take his fingerprints for identification and criminal record mapping

Current Status

The suspect remains in lawful custody following his official presentation to court on October 26, 2026. The state has lined up a total of nine witnesses to testify in the matter, including the primary complainant, Hananel Adini, and several investigating officers.