On the Waitiki land in Likoni which she has been accused of overpricing, she says the worth offered by the government at Sh1.1 billion was reached after negotiations led by President Uhuru Kenyatta/CFM NEWS
Ngilu, after daylong questioning at Integrity Centre told journalists that all the three allegations on land issues were baseless and meant to derail her efforts to clean up the Lands Ministry.
On the Waitiki land in Likoni which she has been accused of overpricing, she says the worth offered by the government at Sh1.1 billion was reached after negotiations led by President Uhuru Kenyatta.
Waitiki who is yet to accept the government offer had offered Sh9.6 billion.
“It was agreed that he be compensated at Sh1.1 billion meaning the President himself saved public money by his intervention,” she stated.
“Where the Sh110 million came from, I don’t know and I could not tell.”
Ngilu is being investigated on suspicion of colluding with Likoni land owner Evanson Waitiki to defraud the Kenyan taxpayer of Sh110 million.
“Mrs Ngilu allegedly is going to get a kickback of Sh65 million once the land is bought by the government for settling of squatters currently occupying it,” the report details.
On the State House Crescent land, she said the land belongs to the government though there are people who own fake title deeds who are still claiming it.
“That piece of land in 1965 was given by the government to Nairobi City Council with the express condition that it will be used as a children playing ground,” she said.
“Should it not be used for that purpose, it will be reverted back to the government…there are many people who are holding what I believe are fake title deeds who are still fighting to get that piece of land.”
According to the documents she handed to EACC, she said the land had at one time in 1996 given out to a security officer, “because he was working for the presidential escort of the then President, Daniel arap Moi.”
The land was later sub-divided by people she did not mention and ‘title deeds’ issued to the ‘owners.’
Ngilu was also questioned about the Karen land saga where she said, “that I have been able to bring all the documents that I could be able to get.”
The matter is currently in court.
She maintained her stance that she was named in the list of shame because of the drastic reforms currently undergoing in her ministry.
“The issues of land are very serious in this country…when I just stand firm and the changes we are making in the ministry to make sure that everything is operated transparently, there are people who are certainly not happy about that,” she said.
She cited the accusation of overpricing the Waitiki’s land as one of the indications that it was more of witch-hunt.
“He is even yet to accept what the government is offering…”
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