[Source: Daily Nation, by Walter Menya]
Questions have been raised on the sale of the Upper Hill property belonging to Kenya Railways’ pensioners to Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) moved to stop the transaction.
On one hand, the management of Kenya Railways Staff Retirement Benefits Scheme (KRSRBS) have defended the sale, saying everything was done above board.
“This sale was above board. There were two previous open tenders done through newspaper adverts in 2017 and again in 2018. One was an international tender. All were non-responsive. The third open tender that was advertised in late 2018 led to this sale. The sale agreements were signed in 2019.
The scheme is bound by PPDA (Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Act), hence the disposal through open tender. There was no irregularity,” KRSRBS acting CEO, Victoria Mulwa, told Sunday Nation.
EACC needs to expedite the investigations, otherwise pensioners will not be able to get their dues unless the balance of the purchase price is paid.
Since the EACC launched investigations into the land deal with Primix Enterprises Ltd, a company associated with Governor Sonko, the commission has so far summoned Ms Mulwa to respond to claims that the land was undervalued.
The commission is also investigating the source of the Sh144.6 million that Mr Sonko has so far paid out of the Sh498.5 million purchase price.
It is expected that the trustees who signed the contract for the sale, James Olubayi and Anthony Kilavi of the Corporate and Trust Pension Services Ltd, will also be summoned to give their side of the story to EACC.
Governor Sonko has denied claims of irregularity in the transaction and instead linked the investigations by the EACC to his stand on terminating the Deed of Transfer of Functions between City Hall and the national government.
Primix Ltd was buying two subplots measuring 0.3001 hectares and 0.2025 hectares from the land, LR 209/6507, on Matumbato road, Upper Hill.
For the 0.3001 hectares, the purchase price was Sh298 million while the second subplot was being sold at Sh200.5 million.
[Full article: Daily Nation, by Walter Menya]
