Parliamentary House Audit Committee Raises Concerns On The Safety Of KBC Land
KBC acting MD Samuel Maina when he appeared before the committee yesterday
PSCU
Worth Noting:
- The MD in his response however assured the Committee that they have secured many of their pieces of land.
- “Chair, we have fenced our land and also provided police protection. We do this bacause we have transmitters on this land. For instance, our Jamuhuri, Meru and Nyambene parcels of land are well secured,” he added.
- From the report, committee Members Mary Wamaua (Maragua) and Caleb Amisi (Saboti) sought to know why among the pieces of land pointed out, ten parcels were not provided to the auditors for audit. Among these, were parcels that the KBC management possess title deeds for, whiie one piece is under litigation.
The Acting Managing Director of the country’s national broadcaster Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) Mr. Samuel Maina was at pains yesterday to explain to the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee on Social Services Administration and Agriculture the correct position of the status on parcels of land owned by the state Corporation.
Appearing before the Emanuel Wangwe led committee, Mr. Maina who was accompanied his procurement manager Mr. Robert Wekesa and the head of accounts, Ms. Risper Kajuju among other departmental heads was responding to questions emanating from the Auditor-General’s report of financial years covering the period between 2001 and 2013.
Regarding the issue of property plant and equipment, the Committee questioned why KBC had aquired only 8 title deeds out of the 40 parcels of land they own. Seven other parcels had allotment letters and while twenty-five did not have ownership documents. Consequently, the committee noted that it was difficult to confirm the ownership status of the land.
“Today as we speak, it is difficult to tell how much land KBC owns and how secure the land is. A report for the period covering the years 2010/2011 cited lack of titles, yet 12 years down the line, there is still no progress to remedy the situation. These revelations are a threat to government land,” held Wangwe.
The MD in his response however assured the Committee that they have secured many of their pieces of land.
“Chair, we have fenced our land and also provided police protection. We do this bacause we have transmitters on this land. For instance, our Jamuhuri, Meru and Nyambene parcels of land are well secured,” he added.
From the report, committee Members Mary Wamaua (Maragua) and Caleb Amisi (Saboti) sought to know why among the pieces of land pointed out, ten parcels were not provided to the auditors for audit. Among these, were parcels that the KBC management possess title deeds for, whiie one piece is under litigation.
While attempting to put the record straight over the status of their land, Mr. Maina informed the committee that Kerara land along Ngong road covers 100 acres, while a piece of land located in Lang’ata land which measures 20 acres has been encroached by land grabbers.
He further told the committee that another piece of land located in Nyali land measuring 23 acres, another located in Komarock along Kangundo road measuring 1,200 acres had all become a matter of court disputes with squatters living there.
The committee also heard that Sauti House land in Mombasa had partly been sold to Housing Finance resulting to a dispute currently being handled in court.
Further, the committee was shocked to learn that the land on which the KBC headquarters sits, opposite Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi is not registered under the Corporation’s name. In the audit report, it was revealed that the land is owned under a different name.
The committee also sought to know how the Corporation is utilising the 200 acres piece of land in Kitale and the over 100 acres land in Marina Meru.
The MD, Mr. Maina informed the Committee that they have been leasing the land for Agricultural activities, through his procurement officer Mr. Robert Wekesa.
Mr. Maina also told the committee that Kitale land is leased at Sh12,000 per acre and while another parcel located in Morania in Meru county had been leased out at Kshs. 38,000 per acre.
The committee sittings are scheduled to continue next Tuesday when the MD will be expected to weigh in on the 5 power generators valued at Sh 29 million loaned to KENGEN in the financial year 2000/2001 and which have never been returned to the Corporation despite several reminders by the Corporation to KENGEN.
According to the MD, KBC Board has approved a write off for the 5 generators. However, committee nembers Emanuel Wangwe (Committee Chairperson ) and Peters Owino (Ndiwa) disagreed with the decision citing the Public Procurement and Management (Pfm) Act which requires the approval of the National Treasury for a write off to be effected.
The committee has since directed that the KBC Board of management appears before them next week alongside the MD who will be making his third consecutive appearance next week.
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