We are being targeted by local cartels and rogue state officials who are systematically colluding to disown us of our property, this is according a section of Italian nationals living along Kenya’s Coast.

According to the Italian investors, there is a clear pattern of protracted legal disputes, property losses and criminal cases tied to contested land ownership — especially in Kilifi and Malindi — that are against them.

At the centre of all these accusations is the latest dispute involving Armando Tanzini, an elderly Kenyan of Italian origin. Tanzini was recently charged with a KSh165 million fraud involving a prime parcel of land allegedly belonging to a poor family at the Chembe Kibabamuche settlement scheme in Kilifi County.

According to a charge sheet filed in court, Tanzini — alongside Pijev Investments Limited — is accused of “obtaining registration by false pretences” for the land valued at KSh165 million. He allegedly committed the offences in 1994.

Tanzini denies these charges, with his associates crying foul that he is being framed. Despite multiple attempts to seek justice, nothing has gone in his favour.

The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has come under sharp scrutiny. In the Tanzini case and others, critics question the quality and integrity of investigations. Are basic checks being done before charges are preferred? Are forged documents being taken at face value? And crucially, what can the DCI do to protect, rather than target, legitimate foreign investors?

Tanzini’s case is not new, it is a long-running contest that has been the subject ofboth civil and administrative proceedings. In a letter dated September 8, 2023, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) ordered for the closure of investigations into the matter.

A similar dispute — in Malindi ELC Case No. 17 of 2021 — involving the same parcel of land informed the ODPP’s directive.

It is now emerging that several civil cases had already been litigated over the same land, including in 2011 where a Environment and Land Court ruled in favour of Pijev Investments Limited.

In August 2025, however, a separate decision was made to charge the accused persons, an action that initiated a formal request for review by their legal representatives.

Tanzini is not an isolated case. Several Italians in the coastal counties have reportedly lost valuable properties including land, hotels, and holiday homes through questionable legal battles, forged documents, and collusion between local politicians and corrupt officials. It is alleged that those who resist find themselves arrested, charged with fabricated offenses or threatened with deportation.

President Ruto’s visit to Italy

The alleged harassment comes in the wake of President William Ruto’s recent visit to Italy, where he stood before European investors and passionately called on them to bring their capital to Kenya.

The Italians in Kenya now feel that despite President Ruto’s passionate appeal, on the ground in Malindi and Kilifi, foreign investors are suffering.

During a meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, President Ruto insisted that Kenya has the perfect market for profitable investments, owing to her business-friendly frameworks.

“If you are looking for a destination where your investment has a reduced carbon footprint, Kenya has 93% of its footprint as renewable energy. If you are looking at de-carbonising your companies and investments Kenya is the best place to deploy them,” he said.

He added: “We are a robustly democratic country. You can count on the Kenyan Judicial system to protect your investment. We have worked on the protection of investment treaty between Kenya and Italy and also on the avoidance of double taxation.”

Italian community leaders are now calling on the Kenyan government, the Italian Embassy, and the Kenya Investment Authority to intervene urgently. They want a full audit of land cases involving foreign nationals in Kilifi and Malindi, a moratorium on evictions and asset seizures pending review and a dedicated prosecutor to handle investor protection matters.