Transport Cabinet secretary James Macharia has been drawn into a multi-billion shillings housing project scandal in which members of the public lost more than 1.5 billion shillings Suraya Property Group.
At least Ksh 1.5 billion lost in the controversial housing project
Spring Valley Business Park
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The firm collected millions from thousands of Kenyans by selling houses off-plan but failed to deliver on its promise with the proprietors-Susan Muraya and Pete Muraya engaging investors in endless cat-and-mouse games.
A section of investors suspect that the couple has neither been arrested nor investigated for its questionable dealings because it enjoys political patronage and protection from influential people in government.
Susan Muraya of the Suraya Group
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It has since emerged that Spring Valley Business Park that houses the offices of Suraya and which the firm claims to be one of its successful projects is owned by the CS.
However, in a strange twist of events, the CS maintained that the mixed-use development comprising shops, offices and a four-star hotel was not built by Suraya and is not owned by the embattled firm.
The CS told Nation that he has “no stake in the Suraya Group of Companies. Not even one per cent”.
He added that “In 2011, together with two others, (I) acquired the Spring Valley Business Park on Lower Kabete Road. The offices of Suraya are in that building. They tried buying it but I do not think they have paid for it”.
File image of Transport CS James Macharia
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The business park is listed on Suraya’s website as one of its projects and was used to convince investors who pumped in billions of money.
It is also within these premises that questionable dealings took place with several losing money in projects that were never to be.
This is a claim the CS disputes. “They did not build it,” he says. “The Spring Valley Business Park is a separate company.” He stated.
