EACC summons Swazuri over Sh2.5 billion Moi Airport land
The anti-graft agency has summoned former NLC Chairman Mohammed Swazuri and 14 others over the alleged irregular acquisition of Moi Airport Mombasa land.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has lined up for grilling top former officials of the National Land Commission (NLC) over illegal acquisition of a Sh2.5 billion land.
The anti-graft agency has summoned former NLC Chairman Mohammed Swazuri, former vice Chairperson Abigael Mbagaya and 14 others to record statement over the alleged irregular compulsory land acquisition for the construction of Dongo-Kundu-Kipevu Road and the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) projects in Mombasa.
Also summoned to appear before EACC’s Lower Coast Region offices are Samuel Tororei, Abdulkadir Khalif, Silas Kinoti, Clement Lenachuru and Emma Njogu.
Other officials to be grilled over the alleged corruption scandal are Rose Musyoka, T.M Konyimbih, Salome Munubi, Wahome Murakaru, Joash Oindo, Francis Mugo, Bernard Cheruiyot, Derek Muchemi and Jecinta Mutua.
EACC in a letter dated November 10, 2022 asked acting NLC chief officer Kabale Tache to instruct the officials to avail themselves starting Monday for questioning.
The latest investigations by the commission touches on 12 parcels of land that were allegedly grabbed from Moi International Airport (MIA) in Mombasa and subsequently allocated to individuals who proceeded to claim for compensations running into millions of shillings.
“The commission’s lower Coast regional office, Mombasa is in conduct of investigations into allegations of irregular allocation and unlawful compensation of parcels No MN/VI/3854, MN/VI/3855, MN/VI/3856, MN/VI/3857, MN/VI/3858, MN/VI/3859, MN/VI/3960, MN/VI/3861, MN/VI/3862, MN/VI/3904, MN/VI/3905 and MN/VI/3906, during the compulsory land acquisition for the establishment of Dongo-Kundu Kipevu Road project and the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway in Mombasa,” states EACC in the letter.
The development comes days after EACC moved to court seeking to recover the parcels as well as millions of shillings paid as compensations.
In the case filed before the Environment and Land Court in Mombasa, EACC seeks to recover Sh984.3 million it says was illegally paid as compensation for land compulsorily acquired for the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) and the Dongo Kundu-Kipevu road projects.
Documents filed in court indicate the National Land Commission (NLC) paid the millions to East African Gas Company Limited, which is currently registered as the owner of all the parcels of the airport land.
Seeks to recover
According to the anti-graft commission, the properties it seeks to recover belong to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) but were fraudulently transferred to private developers.
The ethics agency argues that the parcels are public land set aside for use by the Mombasa airport under the management of KAA.
The properties include part of the MIA runway, a UN support base and a Kenyan Defence Forces (KDF) base and its security watchtower.
Also sued in the case are former KAA director Peter Kipyegon Lagat, Gas Company Limited – which transferred all the parcels under its name to the East African Gas Company Limited – Frankway Link Agencies, Jeewi Ltd, Peninsula Agencies, Spelling International, Park Mansions Ltd, Jay&K Enterprises, Kokog Investments Ltd and Bush Veld Limited.
The commission argues that “KAA was deprived of a strategic asset for the administration, control, management and advancement of state operations” relating to the Moi International Airport when the parcels were fraudulently grabbed.
