Kenya mayor arrested over cemetery scandal

Sylvia Nankya;

Kenya's mayor of Nairobi has been arrested for questioning in connection with a scandal over the sale of land for a graveyard in the capital.

Geoffrey Majiwa is the highest official to be arrested over the alleged scam.

Officials are accused of paying $3.6m (£2.4m) of taxpayers' money for the land, which was worth only 10% as much and did not have a title-deed.

Kenya's new constitution sparks hopes of rebirth Country profile: Kenya So far, only 14 junior officials at Nairobi's city council are facing charges.

But Mr Majiwa's arrest comes two days after Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) head, Patrick Lumumba, said that having dealt with the "small fish", it was now time for the commission to turn its attention to the "big fish".

The land had been earmarked to replace the Langata cemetery, which is full.

But the rocky land purchased was not even suitable for use as a cemetery, the authorities said.

It is alleged that the land in Nairobi's Machakos district was purchased for 283m Kenyan shillings, when it was worth 24m shillings.

KACC spokesman Nicholas Simani said Mr Majiwa would be charged in court on Tuesday.