KAA puts its worth at Sh1.3trn in disclosure to House committee

The Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) is worth Sh1.3 trillion, acting managing director Alex Gitari has disclosed.

Mr Gitari told the National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee (PIC) that the government valuer had put the total value of KAA land, buildings and biological assets like forests at Sh1.3 trillion.

“The value of KAA land, buildings and biological assets like forest that KAA has in various airports came to Sh1.3 trillion, according to a valuation done last year by government valuer,” he said.

Mr Gitari told the committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir that the government valuer had shared the report with KAA board, which had approved it in principle.

“We have valued all our land and we will include them in the asset register in the next financial year report,” he said during the examination of KAA books of accounts for the year to June 2017.

The Auditor-General’s office, however, said it had not seen the report by the government valuer on the valuation of KAA assets.

The committee directed KAA to share the contents of the report with the Auditor-General and a copy to Parliament.

“We are directing that you forward the report to us and the auditor given what the board has approved,” Mr Nassir said.

KAA holds thousands of acres of prime land at various airports across the country, some of which have been encroached by third parties.

The Auditor-General has previously warned that KAA land at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), Embakasi Village, Lokichogio Airport, Wilson Airport and Malindi Airport is at risk of being lost to third parties who have laid claim to it in dubious circumstances.

KAA is in court battling third parties following demolition of houses at its JKIA land in Nairobi and other areas.

Part of the land identified as LR No. 13512 was allocated to Mlolongo Brothers Association while another portion LR No. 14231 was allocated to Uungani Settlement Self-Help Group.

KAA in November 2011 obtained temporary court orders restraining the groups from dealing in the land.

The authority then moved to the site with bulldozers and demolished property worth billions of shillings belonging to private developers.

The two groups moved to court and sued KAA for demolishing the palatial homes and the ruling in the case is yet to be delivered.

KAA told MPs that it had secured the property from encroachment as it waits for the court verdict.

“We have valued all our land, including the ones in contention. We maintain that the alleged allotment letters are not genuine even as we await the judgement date by the court,” said Mr Gitari.

KAA said it is not aware of individuals behind the Mlolongo Brothers Association and Uungani Settlement Self-Help Group.

“Airports are high-level security installations. It has taken 16 years to resolve the issue of letters of allotment. Who are these Mlolongo brothers and Settlement Self-Help Group?” Tinderet MP Julius Melly asked.