Governor Waititu accused of illegally transferring land belonging to a Thika widow.
Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu
might be charged for abuse of office following his involvement in the illegal
acquisition and transfer of land worth Sh.100 million in Thika Municipality in
January 2018.
On the 5th March this year, the
Commission on Administrative Justice, better known as the office of the
Ombudsman received a complaint from Cecilia Mbugua who is a widow alleging that
officials from the Kiambu County Government irregularly transferred ownership
of two plots in Thika municipality registered under the complainant to Esther
Nyatu Wamuyu.
Following an investigation and
subsequent recommendation by the commission ascertained that prime property –
Thika Municipality/Block XI/877 and Thika Municipality/Block XI/878 – belonging
to Ms Mbugua was fraudulently transferred to Esther Nyatu through the office of
the governor and the governor himself.
CAJ Chairperson Florence Kajuju handed
over title deeds to back to Ms Mbugua following an admission by Waititu of his
role in taking away the land.
The properties are part of a block of
five properties owned by Ms. Mbugua, all having a lease of 99 years starting in
the year 2011.
Ms. Mbugua had applied to develop the
properties in 2013 and was granted a permit to carry on planned construction
works. Later, it was cancelled on allegations that the land belonged to the
Juakali Association. Mbugua challenged the decision in court, which ruled in
her favour.
The commission’s investigators visited
Kiambu and Thika land offices to interview officials and get documents relevant
to the matter.
Waititu was also interviewed and he
allegedly admitted requesting Ms Mbugua to surrender the two plots before he
could facilitate approval of the development plans for the remaining three
plots.
In late December 2017, Ms Mbugua said she
received a call from the governor’s office in which she was guaranteed the
development approvals only for the land to be transferred to Esther Nyatu on
the 2nd of January 2018 on purported consideration of sale.
Upon realising the irregularity in the
transfer of the plots, the governor agreed to surrender back the two plots to
the widow.
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