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{
"id": 82477,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82477/?format=api",
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"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Wetangula",
"speaker_title": "The Minister for Foreign Affairs",
"speaker": {
"id": 210,
"legal_name": "Moses Masika Wetangula",
"slug": "moses-wetangula"
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"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, this is the property in Brussels, and anybody can see and those who have been there know. It is an extremely ecstatic building. After negotiations, it was agreed and an agreement to this effect; that the purchase price will include renovations to be carried out by the landlord which were done and there is a certificate from the Ministry of Public Works to show that they were satisfied with the renovations. Number two, the price included furnishing which was the furniture in use installed by the landlord, fittings and any other addition. The negotiations were done, procurement was done and a price of 3,850,000 Euros was agreed. The process of payment was done in the normal manner. You heard the Chairman say on this transaction, Kshs84 million was lost. Mr. Speaker, Sir, if you look at these documents that I tabled here including the sale agreement and all the issues involved, I find it very difficult to understand the computation of Kshs84 million because all was in the agreement, Ministerial teams were involved from more than one Ministry and the transaction was completed. Mr. Speaker, Sir, quickly, I move to Lagos. In Lagos, Kenya opened a Mission in Nigeria in the early 1960s like all other African countries were doing to each other. We occupied the property in one of the lagoons in Lagos. In 1991 or thereabouts, Nigeria moved its capital to Abuja and asked all the countries to move their diplomatic missions to Abuja for ease of running of Government. All the Governments that had embassies there moved their missions. Countries like India sold their Missions and moved. The only countries and they are very few that retained consulates, not embassies in Lagos, were countries that have interest in the oil sector; the Dutch, the British, the Americans and others. The rest moved out. Mr. Speaker, Sir, records are there to show that our property is situated in a good location. I have not found anywhere apart from what the Chairman said that they were the choicest. And I took time to find out from Nigeria whether indeed, retired President Babanginda is our neighbour. In fact, he is not. This I have been firmly assured by not just our embassy but my counterpart. Mr. Speaker, Sir, sometime in 2007, a process of disposal of this property started. The need to dispose of this property was to, first, get rid of the property whose maintenance would be costly for no reason and then get the money to use for other purposes. The Government has many uses of money. The plots are three but on one single area. There is a letter from the Treasury allowing the Ministry to dispose of all the three properties dated 8th August, 2008; property No. 51, 52, 53. Then the Mission was advised to go through the normal procedures of procurement like my good friend here was rising on a point of order. Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Mission went through this, they advertised but before that evaluation was done; two valuations--- The first valuation on this property was done by a Kenyan valuer from the Ministry of Land, a Mrs. Kimondio. She returned a value on this property of 391,430,000 Euros. The Mission wanted another valuation. They contracted a local valuer who gave it a value of 428,996,252 Euros. The Treasury then advised and rightly so, that; do not sell the property by private treaty, go to competitive bidding; advertise and let us see what we get. It was advertised in the local media but before that, another idea had come up in the Government; that since Kenya Airways is closely associated with the Government but not a government body, let us offer them this property to buy and use it in Nigeria. A letter of offer was given to Kenya Airways; they engaged in discussions. Eventually, Kenya Airways wrote a letter to the Government saying; ââwe have shelved this project because we have other priorities.ââ Mr. Speaker, Sir, after that, the Government then directed the Embassy to advertise the property. Contrary to what we had in the value of 391million Euros and 428 million Euros, we got a bid for a whooping 994, 205,064 Euros. This process gave in this money and you have heard in the submissions from my friends from the Committee that the movement of this money is unclear. Mr. Speaker, Sir, I want to submit to this House that after the sale of the properties, the money realized was remitted to the Government, to the Treasury where the Ministries hold accounts. These accounts are held at the Central Bank. Mr. Speaker, Sir, yes, the first remittance remained behind and the Committee asked me when I appeared before them and I told them information available to me from my officer because as Minister, I have no access to day to day running of issues in the Ministry other than what I ask for and what I am shown. I was informed that when the money was remitted to the Treasury, 70,000 pounds was retained to pay rent for a consulate office in Lagos. Why the consulate office? Because the consumers of visas emanate from Lagos because that is where Kenya Airways goes, although now we have negotiated, they will go to Abuja. We negotiated with Kenya Airways and agreed that instead of having the Government renting property to keep an immigration attachĂŠ, Kenya Airways would accommodate this immigration attachĂŠ in their offices which they do up to today because they serve the same Government. These are the documents for that rent. I have evidence to show that since then, the retained 70,000 Pounds has been remitted to the bank and there is no money outstanding on the sale in Nigeria. The document is here. Mr. Speaker, Sir, equally, I want to point out, as I move to Japan where it appears the center of interest is, that, in 2008/2009, this august House passed the Budget. In the Budget, it approved the purchase of buildings in Tokyo, Japan. There was no budget for the purchase of a plot. In the same Budget, there was a budget line for the construction of buildings in Nigeria. So, it is not true that the money from Nigeria was exclusively taken elsewhere. That is because when money goes into the same basket, it is difficult to say what came from Nigeria or what came from elsewhere. In the same year, there was an allocation to Nigeria of Kshs200 million and an allocation of Kshs1.2 billion to Japan. Then, what happened in Japan? I want to make it very clear. I cannot and I will not, under what circumstances, condone any malpractice or corruption. I will be the first to fire the first shot. As a Minister - and my colleagues in the Cabinet know that - when you appear before a Committee of Parliament, you carry documents given to you by your technocrats; you do not manufacture them. You have questions. You say: Get me the following details. You go and you give the information. When does it amount to a lie or an untruth, if you knowingly or intentionally convolute the truth and tell the Committee things that are not right? If you go before a Committee and honestly and sincerely tell them what is in your possession, how does it amount to a lie? I do not understand this! That is because when I appeared before the Committee, I even asked my colleagues: âThere are more witnesses coming. If there are any issues that are outside what I have told the Committee, please give me an opportunity to come back and talk to you. That is because I am also interested in knowing what is happening to the taxpayersâ money. I also pay taxes! My people pay taxes.â The letters asking for me to be allowed to go back are available and I will put them on the table. Instead, I was never given an opportunity to go back and clear some issues."
}