Swazuri defends controversial sh. 15 bn Ruaraka Land payment

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Nairobi, KENYA: National Lands Commission chair Mohammed Swazuri has defended payment of controversial multi-billion Ruaraka land saga.

In a media briefing in Nairobi on Monday, Swazuri said that the execution of the payment of sh. 3.5 billion where sh. 1.5 billion has already been paid was due to go ahead which was issued by government institutions including the office of the Attorney general, courts and the 2012 parliamentary committee on lands report.

Swazuri says that the payment was done after the commission got a clean bill of health by relevant government institutions.

“We were told to verify drive inn and Ruaraka schools were verified,” Swazuri said.

“2012 parliamentary and courts said that land was private and must be compensated, we went for a search and it was a private land. Attorney General told us we have to pay, we issued time and there was nobody came to demand the land.”He added.

He reiterated that after the commission gave a leeway for any entity to come out and claim the land where drive inn and Ruaraka school is situated.

But he refused to come out whether the commission followed the due diligence in the execution of the process.

The National Assembly Lands committee report directed Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti to
investigate Swazuri and other officers for personal responsibility in the payment.

Investigations pointed National Lands Commission chairman Mohammed Swazuri over the controversial payment of Sh1.5 billion compensation for the controversial Ruaraka land.

The National Assembly committee on land has recommended that Swazuri be investigated and possibly prosecuted and the prosecution of 25 officials over the saga.

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