The company donated a parcel of land L.R No.209/11325 on August 23, 2007, and surrendered the title deed to the Commissioner of Lands for purposes of transferring and registering the property in the name of Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund.
The KPC handed over the land in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga Slums to settle street families.
A piece of land Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) donated to settle street families 13 years ago has been grabbled.
The company donated a parcel of land L.R No.209/11325 on August 23, 2007, and surrendered the title deed to the Commissioner of Lands for purposes of transferring and registering the property in the name of Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund.
The KPC handed over the land in Nairobi’s Mukuru kwa Njenga Slums to settle street families.
“However, review of the matter during the month of January 2021, thirteen years after the donation, revealed that the transfer has not been effected and the land in Mukuru kwa Njenga slum has since been encroached upon by members of the public,” said Nancy Gathungu, Auditor-General, in a report.
She also raised the red flag on other lands in Embu, Murang’a, Laikipia and Mavoko, which had not been transferred to the Street Families Trust Fund.
“Information available indicates that the defunct local authorities of Embu, Murang’a and Laikipia allocated land to the trust fund informally as captured in the minutes dated September 19, 2016,” said Ms Gathungu in a qualified audit of the books of accounts for the Ministry of Devolution.
Ms Gathungu said the trust fund is yet to identify where the parcels of land are located or to obtain title deeds or any legal or formal documents of allocation.
“In addition, management has not demonstrated any efforts put in place to acquire ownership documents,” she said.
Ms Gathungu said the trust fund purchased 8.09 hectares in Mavoko for Sh38 million on December 13, 2013.
She said a review of the position during the audit, in January 2021, revealed that the said property had not been transferred to the trust fund.
“In the circumstances, it is not possible to confirm the accuracy and completeness of the property, plant and equipment balance of Sh9,744,614 reflected in the statement of financial position as of June 30, 2020,” said the auditor in a report tabled in Parliament last December.
The auditor cited the Trust Fund for presenting an incomplete asset register for audit review.
Ms Gathungu said Regulation 143 of the Public Finance Management (National Government) Regulations, 2015 requires an accounting officer to maintain a register of assets under his or her control or possession as prescribed by the relevant laws.
“However, the register of assets maintained by the Trust Fund did not include the date of purchase of some of the assets, the costs and the current location,” Ms Gathungu said.
In the circumstances, the Auditor-General said it could not be confirmed that the assets of the Fund were properly safeguarded.
The Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund is a State Corporation mandated to coordinate rehabilitation of street families, mobilise resources and fundraising as well as receive donations and fund street families’ rehabilitation programmes.
