Private developers have encroached on the properties belonging to the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Institute KMFRI in Turkana, Baringo, Sangoro and Mtwapa, according to a parliamentary report.
The National Assembly's Public Investments Committee PIC said the institute lacked ownership documents for the four parcels.
The committee said KMFRI's prime property of 13.42 acres in Mtwapa in Kilifi had been encroached by private developers.
The Kmfri managing director, James Njiru, told Pic that the land was registered in the name of Kenya Agricultural Research Institute Kari, which gave 10 acres adjacent to the ocean to Kmfri for the establishment of a research station.
The land was grabbed by private developers before the transfer was done, he said in submissions to the PIC.
The matter was reported to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and investigations were ongoing. After an audit of the institute's books of accounts, the Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu flagged the grabbing of 13.42 acres. She said available information indicates that the land had been encroached by a private developer.
There is no documentary evidence to show that there were adequate follow-ups to evict the private developer from the land or to repossess that land, said Ms Gathungu.
She also questioned the ownership of unsurveyed parcels of land located in Turkana, Baringo, Sangoro and Mtwapa, which had not been included in the asset register.
The institute did not have title for land measuring 1.8 and 6.0 hectares in Sangoro and Shimoni, according to Ms Gathungu.
Kmfri told PIC that it was in possession of the four parcels of land, and has been trying to get ownership documents from the respective government agencies.
Mr Njiru told lawmakers that the Turkana station was built on land belonging to the State Department for Fisheries and that the Kmfri did not own the land.
He said the institute was allocated a parcel of land in Baringo plot No. P R B 355 97 4 was set up a research station adjacent to the lake, but was not issued with ownership documents by the county council.
The land at Kambi ya Samaki was taken over by a private developer, according to Mr Njiru.
The institute filed a court case seeking to evict the land grabber. He said that the institute tried to get ownership documents from local government offices without success.