MPs Expose How Ruto Was Misled in KICC Privatization, Raise Concern Over Land Grabbing

Members of Parliament have exposed a scheme threatening to land sections of the land on which the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) sits.

According to the Public Investments Committee on Commercial Affairs and Energy, there is a plot to grab the land between Parliament Road, City Hall Way and the Supreme Court building commonly referred to as the COMESA grounds.

While exposing the renewed land-grabbing attempts, the MPs noted that President William Ruto was misled to believe KICC was eligible for privatization. They argued that the Ministry of Lands did not carry out due diligence to establish the missing title deed and the ongoing wrangle over land ownership.

The MPs sitting in the committee led by David Pkosing noted that the privatization deal which was supported by Ruto could have flopped after he was misled.

While demanding answers from the ministry, members of the committee wondered why the dispute had taken so long to resolve and whether there was a conflict of interest between officers in the Lands Ministry, the National Land Commission, and the cartels trying to grab the land.

“The custodian of land records is the Ministry of Lands, there should not be any dispute that you can’t resolve, you should be able to tell us who owns the land, and whether it is under the national government or the county government,” charged Laikipia West MP Mwangi Kiunjuri.

Responding to the concerns, Lands Cabinet Secretary Alice Wahome assured the MPs that the KICC land has not been subdivided.

“May I assure the committee that the land where KICC sits is secure and its title is in the custody of the National Assembly. I also want to assure the committee that the remaining land popularly known as COMESA grounds is secure, I have not seen any records to show that it has been subdivided...the land is safe,” said the CS.

At the same time, she dismissed claims that Garden Square Limited owned part of the KICC land.

"Garden Square is actually a toilet by design, and it’s part of the land that we are talking about. Making an application to own the land does not mean it will be automatic that they will own the land. I think we are Okay, and we need to complete this process, when I come back I will tell you how far we have gone."

The MPs then gave the CS a 30-day ultimatum to produce the KICC title deed.