Assembly Committee Turns Away KEMRI Team During Their Second Appearance Over Land Ownership
Committee chairman Emmanuel Wangwe making his ruling
By Our Reporter
The National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Social Services Administration and Agriculture was forced to adjourn its audit sitting yesterday morning after it turned out that the Acting Director General of the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) Prof. Elijah Maritim and his departmental heads were unable to substantiate the legal ownership of some of the parcels of land under the institution and also presenting what was termed as misleading and inconsistent responses to the committee.
The Emanuel Wangwe – led committee had raised two issues under property plant and machinery as highlighted in the Auditor General’s report of the financial year ending June 2015.
The report indicated that there are various parcels of land valued at Sh145,925,500 situated at Kenyatta National Hospital, Kilifi, Mbagathi Road, and Taita Taveta whose respective Title Deeds were not availed for audit and therefore the auditors could not confirm ownership status.
In his response, the Acting Director General who seemed to have a difficult time explaining the audit query, could not give the committee a clear answer. At one time, he told the committee members that the institution was pursuing the documents before changing his response and assuring the committee that some of the documents were available and would be provided for audit.
“We want you to tell this committee if the Titles are lost, and please don’t use this committee to sanitize the dirt by your predecessor. As a committee we need the instruments that disengaged you with the former boss Mr. Koech and gave you the powers to pursue a new title,” Wangwe told him.
Committee members Jackson Kosgey (Nominated) and Wambugu Wainaina (Othaya) were at this point concerned why the committee should for the second time proceed with a sitting with the Director General providing misleading responses.
They went ahead to call for an adjournment to allow Prof. Maritim one more chance to put his responses in order accompanied with supporting documents.
“I reckon that you do not seem to see the need to conclude the issue of land whenever you come before this committee. I wouldn’t be comfortable to prosecute this issue the way you want it, Director General. The information you have provided to us on land ownership documents is contradicting. Therefore, the sitting stands adjourned until the first week of July when you will be reappear before this committee for the last time,” Wangwe directed.
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