Integrity Centre in Nairobi, the headquarters of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission. PHOTO | FILE
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MPs have directed EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo to present the list of directors and individuals behind a shadowy company that had ordered the commission to vacate its premises by end of June.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has until the close of business today to unmask faces behind companies that own its Integrity Centre headquarters.
Parliament has directed EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo to present the list of directors and individuals behind a shadowy company that had ordered the commission to vacate its premises by end of June.
The EACC, however, secured an extension of its Sh70 million-a-year lease for its Nairobi head office months after it was involved in a public spat with the owners of the building over the tenancy. The EACC has been in occupation of the building since 1997.
Mr Waqo told the National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs committee chaired by Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) that it had since established the directors of the firms but failed to table the same.
“We have looked at the matter of ownership as directed by the House. We have established the directorships but I don’t have the list here,” he said.
Mr Waqo said records from the Deposit Protection Fund, the ministry of Land and the National Land Commission indicates the land has always been private and owned by institutions.
He revealed that the land, LR No. 209/1069, was registered in 1931 with a grant of leasehold interest for a term of 78 years with effect from November 1, 1931. The lease, he said, was registered to Roy Federickson and Harold James Nories.
“The property has been subsequently transferred to other entities – Umoja Enterprises Limited with effect from December 30, 1972, Diners Club Africa Limited (1989), Trade Bank Limited (October 31, 1990), Revack Limited (November 10,1994) and Tegus Limited (June 4, 2013 to date),” said Mr Waqo in a brief to the committee.
Mr Chepkonga directed the commission to submit the names of directors of the listed companies, from Umoja to Tegus limited.
“We want to know the directors of Watuwatu Limited and Sunnex Limited who are listed as Tegus Limited directors.
“We know that it’s a requirement in law that transfer documents contains names and pictures of directors transferring the property,” he said.
The committee had through a resolution of the House adopted a report on the removal of EACC chairman Mumo Matemu and commissioner Irene Keino.
It asked the anti-graft agency to investigate and report within 14 days the circumstances surrounding the current ownership of Integrity Centre.
The mystery over the building’s ownership played out in April when it featured prominently in a fallout pitting EACC commissioners, headed by Mr Matemu, against the secretariat led by Mr Waqo.
In Parliament, Majority Leader Aden Duale named Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula, Adan Ahmed and a Mr Makokha as owners of Integrity Centre but did not produce any evidence linking the trio to the property.
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