Looters of Sh12billion Expressway land compensation money
The Kenyan taxpayers may end up losing up to Sh12billion out of the Sh18billion allocated as reparations for compulsory land acquisition and loss of business to unscrupulous investors working in cahoots with senior officers drawn from the National Treasury, National Land Commission (NLC) and the Kenya National Highways Authority (Kenha), The Informer has established.
Seventeen parcels of land which we have established to be road reserves are among those earmarked to be paid in full.
Roseline Njeri Macharia and Soyonin Farm limited, is part of the Sh5.84 billion that NLC, which acquired the stretch of land on behalf of the Kenha, recommended as payment for compulsory acquisition and compensation.
The balance of Sh3.19 billion that includes Sh2.83 billion for land acquisition and Sh360.05 million for improvements on the land, is yet to be paid.
Documents shows that 32 persons and entities have titles laying claim to the land.
For instance, Macharia who claims ownership of land LR No. 209/11293/1 was fully paid Sh1.65 billion for the 10 acres land, which is roughly Sh164 million an acre, and Sh303.12 million in improvements.
The improvements on the land include Sh273.48 million for Cabanas Park, Sh16.12 million for Consumer Link Communications Company limited, Sh2.2 million for Audio Visual Concepts and Sh31 million for Finewalls Construction Company limited.
Soyonin farm limited that claims LR No. 209/11942, which is 0.1428 hectares, has been partially paid Sh63.7 million as per the records seen by The Informer.
The latest revelations puts NLC in a tight corner over whether due diligence to ascertain the land ownership was conducted before the money was paid.
Mundinia said that Macharia was compensated after NLC declared the land private and proceeding to undertake valuation.
Compar Investment Limited has been paid Sh401million, Modways Investment Ltd (Sh176million), Nairobi NV Lunar Park (Sh75million), Vijay Morjaria & Hiteshi Morjaria (Sh46million), Mississipi Water Ltd (Sh42.7million), Double-X Ltd (Sh50million), Patflex Ltd (Sh32.7million) and Chezer Investment Ltd (Sh27million).
Others are: Esther Makau and Alice Wanjiku (Sh25million), Danjos Court Ltd (Sh25million), Autobacs Ltd (Sh25million), Chiromo Enterprises Ltd (Sh21million), Peter Njoroge Karanja and Teckiah Meghenia Lenjo (Sh14.9million), Rajinder Singh Juttla (Sh12million), Magnate Ventures (Sh7.8million) and CFC bank Ltd (Sh3.8million).
Rai Plywoods K. Limited has been awarded Sh61million, Dembena International Limited (Sh1.2billion) and Lap Fund (S1.4billion).
Details have now emerged that Sh8billion claims that have already been sanctioned, compensation award approved and money allocated are irregular since the parcels in question either belong to government or form part of the encroached road reserve.
An additional Sh4billion are said to be exaggerated payments by the claimants working in collusion with government officials.
According to documents in our possession, Sh4billion out of the Sh18billion has been paid out so far.
Already, out of the Sh18, 016,313,807 awarded to Kenha, the authority has so far remitted Sh4, 457,577,844 to NLC for onward payout.
Records show the payment transactions were made between January 11, 2021 and May 25, 2021 with an outstanding balance of Sh13, 558,735,963 to 133 beneficiaries.
Our investigations have revealed that Sh2.01billion was paid to compulsorily acquire a public land between the City Cabanas area and Southern bypass along the Mombasa Road to pave way for the construction of the Sh60billion Nairobi Expressway.
In what is shaping out to be the latest heist of public coffers, senior officials from Kenha and NLC are engaged in bitter disagreements trading blame over the controversial payments.
The commission is the acquiring entity on behalf of Kenha involving the ambitious government project likely to be tainted by shady dealings being masterminded by high ranking officials.
Appearing before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the National Assembly, Kenha Director-General Peter Mundinia disowned the irregular claims saying the government has never surrendered the stretch of land to private individuals.
“At no time did we surrender the land to be given to someone. The land is part and parcel of the buffer zone…these parcels were actually road reserve land.” Mundinia told the committee chaired by Ugunja legislator Opiyo Wandayi.
Between City Cabanas and Southern bypass, a total of Sh5.84billion will be spent as reimbursements to Project Affected Persons (PAP) individuals.
Mundinia told the committee that NLC has remained adamant despite numerously notifying the commission on the parcels.
“Kenha provided NLC with the acquisition plan that it was required to work within and decide which land to be acquired. We told NLC that at no time had we surrendered the land and it is upon it to determine how it did the acquisition.” He observed.
“The commission must explain how it acquired the land because it belongs to the government. We have communicated our concerns and we have proved that they were parcels meant for road reserve.” Mundinia added.
