City Hall wins back houses in anti-graft drive
A senior government official and a former CID chief are among individuals whose property has been seized by the anti-corruption agency.
The properties include 24 houses in an up-market Nairobi estate, which will now revert to the Nairobi City Council.
Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission boss Patrick Lumumba said the houses in Woodley Estate houses, valued at Sh885 million, had been irregularly acquired.
They include 23 bungalows, each valued at Sh35 million and one block of eight flats, each valued at Sh10 million.
“It is not fair for people to reap where they have not sowed,” he said on Thursday.
“It is sad that they took advantage of loose laws to acquire these houses. We are, however, glad that they have seen the light and returned them,” Prof Lumumba said.
He spoke in Nairobi when he handed over title deeds of the houses to Town Clerk Philip Kisia.
Most houses were voluntarily surrendered to the graft watchdog. Documents seen by the Nation list Dr Mohammed Isahakia, a PS in the office of the Prime Minister and Mr Noah arap Too, a former CID boss, among those who had surrendered their property.
Others are Mr Kenneth Nyabuti Ogeto and Mrs Elizabeth Cherotich Mibey.
Some of the houses were registered under companies — Tradeworld Company Ltd, Mwakio Investment, Chemusian Company, Matiny Limited and George Philip Investment, among others.
“In order to encourage other Kenyans to surrender public property, we must make public such individuals,” he said.
Mr Kisia welcomed the move. “The council has lost property through irregular means. Those having our assets must return them at once... the council should not lose any of its assets again,” he said.
