Transport Cabinet secretary James Macharia drawn into the Suraya property housing project scandal

Uhuru's powerful CS drawn into multi-billion housing project scandal

Charles Ouma

June 15, 2019 3:15 PM

At least Ksh 1.5 billion lost in the controversial housing project

Spring Valley Business Park

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.

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 Pulse Live Kenya

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”.