House directs police to ensure KPCU board takes office

• The board was elected a month ago but has not accessed the list of its members and assets despite numerous complaints of theft of the union’s assets.
• The directors revealed that their efforts to appoint a consulting firm and a valuation company to ascertain and reconcile the books of accounts and assets of KPCU held by the former board and the current receiver manager were being hampered.
• The committee also summoned the KPCU official receiver, Deloitte, to appear before it to explain how it was appointed and why it has been unable to allow the board entry into its boardroom and offices.
• The committee said it will also be summoning Central Bank of Kenya governor Njuguna Ndung’u, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko, the Co-operatives Development minister, Joseph Nyagah, and Agriculture PS Romano Kiome to explain why action had not been taken on those who plundered KPCU assets.

Parliament has ordered the police to ensure that the new board takes over operations at the Kenya Planters Cooperative Union (KPCU).

Agriculture committee chairman John Mututho asked the sergeant-at-arms to work with the officer commanding Kamukunji Police Station to ensure the newly elected board takes up its Ghala House office.

“The office of the sergeant-at-arms must ensure that the OCS is served with notice to ensure that Parliament’s directive is implemented as contained in the KPCU report adopted by the House,” said Mututho.

It was not immediately clear whether Parliament can order a member of the executive arm of government to act without following established regulations.

The board was elected a month ago but has not accessed the list of its members and assets despite numerous complaints of theft of the union’s assets.

The directors led by chairman George Manyonge and vice chair William Gatae appeared before the committee seeking assistance to gain entry to KPCU headquarters.

The directors revealed that their efforts to appoint a consulting firm and a valuation company to ascertain and reconcile the books of accounts and assets of KPCU held by the former board and the current receiver manager were being hampered.

“We have appointed Senior Counsel Paul Muite to help us appoint consulting firm KPMG and a valuation firm to help us reconcile the books of accounts and the assets of KPCU which are currently being looted,” said Mr Gatae.

Mr Gatae said the board was working towards reconciling the assets and liabilities of the farmers’ organisations with the list held by the official receiver to ensure that the discrepancies are addressed.

The committee also summoned the KPCU official receiver, Deloitte, to appear before it to explain how it was appointed and why it has been unable to allow the board entry into its boardroom and offices.

The committee said it will also be summoning Central Bank of Kenya governor Njuguna Ndung’u, the Director of Public Prosecutions, Keriako Tobiko, the Co-operatives Development minister, Joseph Nyagah, and Agriculture PS Romano Kiome to explain why action had not been taken on those who plundered KPCU assets.