The National Police Service (NPS) is facing a major risk of losing up to 44 police stations in Nairobi due to the lack of land title deeds, raising concerns over the security of public assets and the effectiveness of government institutions.
According to a report presented before the Senate National Security Committee chaired by Abdul Haji, with Inspector General Douglas Kanja in attendance, 44 out of 64 police stations in Nairobi either lack title deeds, were built on land allocated without formal registration, or are still in the process of securing legal ownership.
The report shows the problem is widespread across several sub-counties in the city. In Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Kibra, and Sarangombe police stations were listed as having title deed issues.
Lang’ata sub-county also listed stations such as Lang’ata, Hardy, Akila, and Bomas without complete ownership documents, while Gigiri includes Loresho, Evergreen, Runda, and Gigiri stations.
Dagoretti, Starehe, Kasarani, Makadara, Kayole, and Embakasi are also affected, showing that the issue is institutional rather than limited to one area.
In Starehe sub-county, the listed stations include Ngara, Pangani, Eastleigh North, Eastleigh Air Wing Police Station, Kariobangi, Lucky Summer, Utalii, Muthaiga, Korogocho, and Drive Inn.
In Kasarani, affected stations include Githurai 44, Zimmerman, Clay City, and Mwiki Police Station. In Makadara, Industrial Area, Makongeni, Kaloleni, Hamza, Land Mawe, and Bahati police stations also lack proper land ownership documents.
The report further listed several stations in Kayole, including Kayole, Matopeni, Twiga Patrol Base, Soweto, Masimba, Dandora, and Huruma, all facing the same problem.
In Embakasi, Tassia and Mombasa Road police stations were named, together with Imara Daima and Expressway in Ruaraka, and Kamulu Police Station in Ruai.
During the inquiry, senators also sought clarification on the fate of Capitol Hill Police Station.
Mr. Douglas Kanja said the land had been registered in 2011 under the Principal Secretary to the Treasury as trustee for the NPS, but the government later approved its transfer to other institutions, including financial agencies and emergency service bodies.
That move triggered a process to cancel the station’s registration. However, he assured senators that security services would not be affected, as operations would be moved to nearby stations such as Kilimani and Golf Course.
The problem is not new. Previous reports by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu have repeatedly warned that nearly 80 percent of land owned or used by the police lacks title deeds.
Out of more than 3,000 parcels associated with the service, only 464 have complete ownership documents.
This has raised major questions about the management of public assets and coordination between government institutions, especially the Treasury, which holds some of the titles without sufficient transparency.
The lack of title deeds has contributed to land ownership disputes, especially where communities donated land for police stations without following formal legal procedures. In some cases, the land has since been reclaimed by original owners or their heirs.
The danger is already evident. In Kisii, a police station had to be relocated from the town center after it emerged it had been built on private land later reclaimed by the family that had originally provided it.
Similar disputes have also been reported in Kiambu, including Gatundu North and Makongeni, where individuals and groups have claimed ownership of land currently used by police.
Economist and activist Fred Ogola warned that the situation leaves police land highly vulnerable to grabbing.
He said anyone familiar with the land registration system could identify untitled parcels, secretly register them in their own name, and later demand compensation from the government.
“It is difficult to enforce the law on land you do not own. Essentially, you become an illegal occupant while claiming to uphold the law,” he said, warning that the situation could turn into a business opportunity for people seeking loopholes for personal gain.
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