CS exposes Government's mistake that cost taxpayers Sh1.5 Billion

dennis kibet

May 14, 2018 1:36 PM

The confession exposes how private firms are allocated billions in unclear circumstances.

Lands Cabinet Secretary Faridah Karoney on Monday exposed the Governments mistake that cost taxpayers Sh1.5 billion.

Speaking before the Senate Committee of Lands, Environment and Natural Resources, revealed that the government did not follow due process in compulsory acquisition of the controversial Ruaraka land where Sh1.5 billion was paid to a private firm.

The Ministry of Education and the National Land Commission (NLC) is reported to have given the nod for payment of Sh1.5 billion for the Ruaraka High School and Drive Inn Primary School land and a further Sh2.4 billion for GSU parcel to Whispering Palms Limited which is the sister company to Afrison Export Import and Hueland Limited who were the original owners of the land yet it was not in possession of the title deed.

The payment done in January was part of 3.2 billion compensation for the 13.7701 acres occupied by the learning institutions.

We were not involved

CS Karoney, last month while appearing before the House Lands Committee, affirmed that the company did not have title deed for the entire disputed 96 acre-piece of land hosting the General Service Unit headquarters and the two schools and absolved her ministry from the whole transaction.

She said the ministry’s responsibility was to keep records only and NLC is to ensure they authenticate any matter before they pay compensation.

“The valuation was done by NLC and not us. We do not know the parameters they adopted. In the whole transaction, my ministry was not involved," Karoney stated.

dennis kibet