Nana Gecaga on the spot over plan to build Sh1.5 billion temporary structure at KICC parking lot

Uhuru’s niece on the spot over plan to build Sh1.5 billion temporary structure at KICC parking lot

Tony Mukere

May 22, 2019 3:33 PM

Sh700 million to be used for furnishing it

Uhuru’s niece on the spot over plan to build Sh1.5 billion temporary structure at KICC parking

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s niece and KICC CEO Nana Gecaga has come on the spot over a controversial project to build a Sh1.5 billion temporary conference centre.

KICC management intends to build a prefabricated structure on the parking lot that would be used for exhibitions and host conferences.

However, the Public Investment Committee (PIC) has cast doubt on the prudence of investing so much money for a temporary structure.

It has also emerged that the parking lot where the proposed structure would be built does not belong to the KICC – as per advice of the Ministry of Lands which noted that the land was to be used as parking for various governmental institutions including Treasury, the Senate, and the Central Bank of Kenya.

“To put such an amount of money in a prefab is very disturbing. On this one, they will just have to come and explain how it was done”.

“It should not be forgotten that not long ago, NHIF did a similar thing on a disputed land in Karen, Nairobi. It went ahead to pay the contractor over Sh2.5 billion for no work done. I am seeing the same thing happening with KICC,” PIC chairman Abdulswamad Shariff said.

Gecaga awarded the tender for the building to Parbat Siyani Construction Limited for nearly Sh800 million which was to cater for the construction alone.

Minutes from the KICC showed that furnishing the structure would cost another Sh700 million.

Parliament is also expected to question the speed in doing the project given that it was not budgeted for in the 2018/19 budget and the fact that Gecaga gave the constructor six months to complete it.

Tony Mukere