Kenya’s anti-graft agency has announced that it has recovered three Indian Ocean islands that had been illegally seized by three people.
The agency’s spokesperson Eric Ngumbi also revealed that they are in the process of reclaiming a fourth island, which the accused person has refused to surrender.
According to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Kenya’s anti-graft institution, the four islands are worth 305m Kenyan shillings ($2m, £1.6m).
The islands were designated as a protected area under the Kisite Mpunguni Marine Reserve in 1978. Since then, they have legally belonged to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), the body that manages and conserves the country’s wildlife resources.
Mr Ngumbi told media that private ownership of the islands, which are discreetly located and two hours from the mainland by water, poses a risk as people could use the islands for criminal activities away from government oversight.