Dozens of police stations in Nairobi are facing possible loss of land to private claims after it emerged that many of them operate without proper ownership records, exposing gaps that could leave key security installations vulnerable to takeover.
The matter was raised before the Senate Committee on National Security led by Garissa Senator Abdul Haji, where Inspector General Douglas Kanja presented a report showing that 44 out of 64 police stations in the capital do not have valid land documents.
The report indicates that some stations have no title deeds at all, others have missing or untraceable records, while several sit on land that was donated but never officially registered in government systems.
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The findings show widespread uncertainty across different parts of Nairobi, with several stations affected in nearly every sub-county. In Kilimani, Kileleshwa Police Station, Kibra Police Station, and Sarangombe Police Post are listed among those without title deeds or clear records. In Lang’ata, stations such as Lang’ata, Hardy, Akila, and Bomas Police Post also lack proper ownership documentation.
In Gigiri, Runda and Gigiri police stations, together with Loresho and Evergreen posts, are also affected. In Dagoretti, Kabete and Muthangari police stations, as well as Kawangware and Gatina posts, have no clear land records. Similar gaps were noted in Central, where Parklands Police Station and Luthuli Police Post are flagged.
The situation is also evident in Starehe, where Ngara, Pangani, Eastleigh North, Kariobangi, Korogocho, and Muthaiga stations appear among those without secure documentation. Other affected areas include Kasarani, Makadara, Kayole, Embakasi, Ruaraka, and Ruai, pointing to a widespread problem across the city’s policing units.
Lawmakers also sought clarity on Capitol Hill Police Station. Douglas Kanja explained that the station, gazetted in 2011 and registered under the National Treasury as trustee for the National Police Service, had been set aside for transfer to other institutions including Africa Trade Insurance Agency and St John Ambulance Kenya.
He said the process of removal from police use had already received legal guidance from the Attorney General, adding that policing services in the area would not be affected. Officers and records, he said, were already being moved to nearby stations to ensure continuity.
“There will be no gap in the provision of policing services in the area,” Douglas Kanja said, noting that the relocation process was already ongoing.
The report reflects earlier findings by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu, who flagged major weaknesses in land documentation within the National Police Service. In her report for the year ending June 2025, she stated that about 80 percent of police land across the country does not have title deeds.
Out of more than 3,000 parcels linked to the service, only 464 have proper ownership documents under the custody of the Deputy Inspector General. Some records are held by the National Treasury but were not produced for verification, raising concerns about how land records are managed between government institutions.
In Kisii, police were forced to relocate a long-standing station after it emerged that the land belonged to a private family that reclaimed it years after donating it. Similar disputes have been reported in Kiambu and other areas where rising land values have increased pressure on public property.
Economist and activist Professor Fred Ogola warned that the gaps could expose police land to grabbing and legal disputes. He said weak documentation makes it possible for individuals to register public land and later demand compensation from the government.
“You cannot enforce the law on land you do not own,” he said, adding that the situation weakens public institutions and exposes deeper failures in land administration systems.
He also pointed to poor coordination between government offices handling land records, warning that when ownership documents are held outside user institutions without clear tracking, it creates loopholes that can be exploited.
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