HOMA BAY — Homa Bay County Surveyor Abach Owino has voiced his concerns regarding the issue of impostors, posing as officials from the survey department, deceiving the public in fraudulent land transactions.

According to Kenya News Agency, numerous complaints have been received from individuals who were defrauded by these brokers, who misrepresented themselves as employees of the survey department to extort money from those seeking land-related services. He urged the public to exercise caution and report such fraudsters to the authorities for their apprehension.

A case in point involves an elderly woman who approached his office after being swindled by a broker pretending to be a government surveyor. Despite complaints, the broker implicated in this and potentially other scams remains at large. Owino highlighted this issue during a county service delivery meeting held at the Homa Bay county headquarters, where he called for a collective effort from law enforcement to address this challenge.

The meeting, presided over by Homa Bay Deputy County Commissioner Charles Mwayaya, served as a platform for assurances to be made towards tackling the problem. Mwayaya acknowledged the gravity of the situation, committing to ensuring that all impostors operating within the land sector are prosecuted. He encouraged anyone encountering such fraud to report directly to the County Commissioner's office or his office, promising the allocation of security officers to handle the situation.

Additionally, Mwayaya hinted at the possibility of complicity among some land survey officers, who might be facilitating these scams by collaborating with the brokers. To counteract this, he instructed the County Surveyor to display warnings in their offices, alerting the public to the presence of these masqueraders and advising them on how to avoid becoming victims of such schemes. This measure is part of a broader strategy aimed at eradicating the fraudulent activities plaguing the land office in Homa Bay.