- Senate Roads, Transport and Infrastructure Committee fines Governor Ole Lenku Kshs500,000
- Ole Lenku failed to honour committee summons sending recusal message 45 minutes to the committee sitting
- However, the fines will take effect on Thursday 30th November, 2023 after the last chance expires
Kajiando Governor Joseph Ole Lenku has been fined Sh500,000 for not appearing before the Senate Committee on Roads, Infrastructure and Transportation to answer questions on Jamii Bora Kisaju housing scandal involving Bilions of Shillings
Invoking section 19[1] of the parliamentary powers and privileges act, Kiambu Senator Karagu wa Thang’ua directed Governor to deposit the said amounts to the clerk of the Senate from his personal account
“Kajiado County Governor, Joseph Ole Oleku, is hereby fined Ksh. 500,000/- for failure to appear before this Committee after summons had been issued, the fine is suspended until Thursday 30th, November 2023 at 11 am.” ordered the Chairperson of Roads, Infrastructure and Transportation, Kiambu Senator, Karungo Thangw’a.
The committee was supposed to meet with the Governor, Kajiado County in regards to the petition concerning access to title deeds for properties bought at Jamii Bora Estate, Kisaju, Kajiado County.
“Failure to which we direct the police to arrest him and frogmatch him to the Senate because the residents feels they were conned by the entity tbat is very well known by the Kahiando Governor,” Karungu stated
The Committee on Thursday 4th July, 2023 met with the Governor, Kajiado County on the Petition concerning title deeds for properties bought at Jamii Bora Estate, Kisaju, Kajiado County where the Committee was informed that Jamii Bora Charitable Trust had since made part payment for arrears of land rates and rent of Ksh. 17,150,000 for the 700 plots that had been developed and therefore the outstanding arrears of land rates and rent was Ksh. 1,050,484,990.
Furthermore, the Committee heard that Jamii Bora Charitable Trust had applied to the County Council of Ol Kejuado for approval to subdivide parcels of land L.R. NO. KAJIADO/KISAJU/58 and LR. NO. KAJIADO/KISAJU/2995 into 5,871 plots, and the plan was approved in 2008.
During the meeting, the Committee resolved to request the County Government of Kajiado to submit the following information: The approved subdivision plan for the parcels of land; a mutation plan showing the plot allocation numbers for the 5,871 plots; County Government of Kajiado to re-calculate the land rates and rent payable by Jamii Bora Charitable Trust and give an accurate figure; and The County Government to provide the legal basis for charging of land rates and rents to the property without reference to an official registration document for the 5,871 plots.
On Wednesday, 19th July 2023, the Committee received a submission from the County Government of Kajiado, which did not address the issues sought by the Committee.
On 26th September 2023, the Committee wrote a reminder letter to the Governor to submit a comprehensive response to the issues sought by the Committee.
At its meeting held on 31st October, 2023, the Committee was informed that the Governor had not responded to a reminder request to submit a comprehensive response to the information sought by the Committee and the Committee therefore resolved to invite the Governor to a meeting of the Committee on 14th November, 2023 to respond to the issues addressed in the letter.
At its meeting held on Tuesday, 14th November, 2023, the Governor, Kajiado County failed to appear before the Committee and the Committee resolved to summon the Governor to appear before the Committee on Monday, 27th November, 2023.
On 21st November, 2023, the Committee served summons on the Governor, Kajiado County to appear before the Committee on Monday, 27th November, 2023 to respond to the issues the Committee sought earlier in correspondences to the Governor.
“We should give the Governor of Kajiado the last chance to appear before the committee, I am reliably informed that the Governor was in the Parliament precincts but he was taken ill and rushed to hospital for medical attention.” Said the Committee Vice person, Peris Tobiko.
However, the Chairperson, Sen. Karungo Thangwa expressed his disappointment that the Governor of Kajiado does not take the committee seriously and he should be reprimanded for his failure to appear before the committee and provide documents as requested by the Senate Committee.
Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna, who is a member of that committee posited that the Kajiado Governor should be fined on two counts; failure to appear before the committee and failure to produce documents as ordered by the committee, however the senator said that the fine should be suspended and Governor Lenku to be given the last chance to appear before the committee in person.
“The Kajiado Governor has not given the right explanation for his failure to appear before this honorable committee neither has he provided the committee with his responses as required. Therefore, according to section 19 of the Parliamentary Power and Privileges Act, I fine him Ksh. 500,000/-. The fine is suspended until Thursday 30th, November, 2023 at 10am, when he is ordered to appear before this committee, failure to which he shall pay the stipulated fine and the Inspector General will be required to arrest him and bring him to before this committee.” ruled the Kiambu Senator who is the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Roads, Infrastructure and Transportation.
Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja has been summoned by the Committee to appear before it tomorrow at 11 am to explain important issues that fall under the committee’s mandate that affect residents of Nairobi.