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{
"id": 82970,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/82970/?format=api",
"text_counter": 372,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Mr. Keynan",
"speaker_title": "",
"speaker": {
"id": 41,
"legal_name": "Adan Wehliye Keynan",
"slug": "adan-keynan"
},
"content": "Mr. Speaker, Sir, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a team headed by the current Director of Immigration Services, Amb. Musasia. Amb. Musasia came to the conclusion that although we moved our Mission from Lagos to Abuja, there was need for the Kenya Government to retain that prime property and he made a recommendation. But one month down the line, he was transferred from being the Director of Administration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to the Director of Immigration. Immediately he left, that decision was disregarded and the three properties were sold. Also, the lawyer and the estate agent who were involved were disregarded completely. Likewise, our Mission staff were not involved and it became an issue just for the Permanent Secretary and the buyer. Mr. Speaker, Sir, again, I want to demonstrate that when this transaction took place, the Nigerian lawyer who was involved took the Kenya Government to court. There is a demand note from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Federal Government of Nigeria for the Government of Kenya to, indeed, pay Kshs94 million to the lawyer. This issue has not been addressed. I am afraid that it is going to cause a diplomatic problem between Kenya and Nigeria. If prudent mechanisms were followed and the rule of law adhered to and the Government financial management system followed, that lawyer would not have taken us to court. Whatever price we decided to sell our property, the professionals who were involved would have our respect and got their legal fees. That has not been addressed and it is an issue pending. Mr. Speaker, Sir, one of the reasons our prime properties in Lagos were sold was that the Government said that because we moved our Mission from Lagos to Abuja, they needed money to construct a new chancery and Ambassadorâs residence in Abuja. When, finally, the Ministry got the money, they had a new idea. There new idea was that there was something very urgent somewhere in another continent, in a place called Tokyo. When we called the Ministry to explain --- The HANSARD is here, dated 3rd June, 2010, and it will bear me witness. This is the presentation by the Minister and he is the one who signed. He said that the Appropriations-in-Aid was transferred to the Treasury. The Attorney-General of the Republic of Kenya was our first witness who made an extensive submission on the policy. We also met the Minister for Lands; hon. Orengo, the Minister for Public Works; hon. Obure, the Director of Public Procurement Oversight Authority and the Minister for Foreign Affairs on a number of occasions, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, hon. Kenyatta; Amb. Awori and Mr. Osogo who was a cook. Those are the Kenyans actually we met. When we compared and counter-checked the information we were given by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, what we were told by the Governor of the Central Bank and the Ministry of Finance, we found that there is something missing completely. The money ended up in the Development Account of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through their account in London â it is a procedural thing. So, that aspect that the money went directly to Treasury was misleading. Mr. Speaker, Sir, again, when they thought the transaction was over, one Mr. Muchiri, on behalf of the Permanent Secretary, wrote to our High Commissioner in London. This letter is dated 16th December, 2009 and addressed to our High Commissioner in Abuja. It says: âPlease, make arrangement to transfer the entire proceeds of Pounds 8,815,000 from the sales of the Government of Kenya property in Lagos to the current account indicated in our letter earlier.â"
}