Ruto’s Office Clashes With Nairobi Govt Over Ownership of 2 Pieces of Land at KICC
On Wednesday, February 14, the Public Investment Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy in the National Assembly expressed apprehension following a dispute between two government offices regarding the ownership of certain parcels of public land.
As per the Committee’s findings, there is a disagreement between the Office of the President and the Nairobi City County Government regarding the ownership of two pieces of land situated within the Kenya International Convention Center (KICC).
David Pkosing, the Chairperson of the committee and Member of Parliament for Pokot South, has urged the CEO of the National Lands Commission (NLC) and the Lands Cabinet Secretary, Alice Wahome, to appear before the committee on Thursday, February 22. During this session, they are required to provide effective strategies for addressing the matter at hand.
The committee highlighted that the specific land plots under consideration were distinct from the primary section of KICC land, which is appraised at Ksh2.2 billion and houses the main building tower, as noted by Auditor General Nancy Gathungu.
“This is a very weighty issue. Everybody including my constituents in the village knows KICC is government land. We must speedily get to the bottom of this matter,” Pkosing remarked.
During a meeting with KICC management, NLC officials, and representatives from the Ministry of Tourism, the participants acknowledged that the issues raised were based on a report from the Office of the Auditor General.
According to the committee, the Nairobi County Government asserted ownership of the land on which the Garden Square Restaurant is located, adjacent to Harambee House.
In the meantime, the Member of Parliament highlighted that the Comesa Grounds, located next to the Supreme Court and displaying the portrait of the founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta, had officially been designated as a public monument. This development subsequently triggered disputes over ownership between the KICC management and the Office of the President.
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Committee members stressed the urgency of addressing the ownership of KICC and its surrounding land, highlighting its significance to national security.
The Members of Parliament clarified that the reason for this is the location of the building on Government Square, which is near essential state institutions such as Parliament, the Office of the President, the Supreme Court, and other offices along Harambee Avenue.
“Pkosing noted this was a serious query as KICC stands to suffer hefty losses in assets if the two parcels are not placed under the Convention’s ownership,” read a statement from Parliament.
In reply, Patricia Ondeng, the current CEO of KICC, stated that their attempts to secure land allocation had been unsuccessful. She mentioned that the management had sent correspondence to the NLC regarding the matter, but they did not receive any response.
The discussion in July 2021 revolved around the ownership of the Ksh2.2 billion piece of land on which the tower is located. This became a topic of debate following the Auditor General’s report, which disclosed that the land was not officially registered under the State’s name.
Lately, the government proposed a strategy to privatize KICC to boost revenue generation.
Ruto’s Office Clashes With Nairobi Govt Over Ownership of 2 Pieces of Land at KICC