KILIFI county secretary Owen Baya has moved to clear the controversy has surrounding the purchase of a house meant to be the Kilifi governor’s residence in Kilifi town.
The house which is situated at the sea front new Kilifi old ferry was acquired at a cost of Ksh140 million.
Speaking to the press in his office yesterday, Baya said the house is worth the price and urged those making insinuations over its purchase to visit his office to scrutinize all the documents.
Baya blamed some leaders from the area of inciting the public over undertakings by the county government.
According to one investor who spoke on conditions of anonymity, the owner of the house had placed a Ksh. 70 million price tag on the house and the county government agreed to purchase the house.
“The owner of the house is a close friend and wanted to move to another place where he is operating a children’s home. He was selling the house at Ksh.70 million and when the government advertised tenders for the governor’s residence a company sent a bid at Ksh. 140 million,” said the source.
The tender committee according to the source picked the house among others and went ahead to buy it.
However, the county secretary refuted the claims and pointed that the house was first seen after the tenders were opened.
Baya said the right procedures were followed in the whole process.
“We advertised for the tender and picked several houses where the committee visited all the houses. We settled on three houses and we did a vetting and two houses got 75 marks. We did not want to purchase a house that would need renovation and furnishing that’s why we settled on that house sold to us by ecstatic wind properties limited” said Baya.
Baya further clarified that in the budget they had set aside cash for the purchase of a governor’s house and cash for the renovation.
“This house is complete and the governor needs not to carry anything except his clothes and files. It has a spacious office where the governor can work from and its stately. This house fits the status of a governor” said Baya.
The house is a 5 bedroomed mansion and has a large swimming pool and a three bedroomed staff quarter.
Documents seen by the star showed that the district government valuer valued the house at Ksh 145 million.
Kilifi county assembly committee chairman on public accounts and investment Duncan Kaingu said the county assembly was consulted and also visited the three houses and settled on the house which was bought.
Kaingu said the committee gave a nod for the purchase of the house ad wonders why some ward representatives and making a lot of insinuations over the house.
“This is the same house we picked for the governor’s residence and we Okayed its purchase. The house is spacious and has a conference room where the governor can meet his cabinet and can host up to 20 people. This can cut the cost for hall hiring” said Kaingu.
The house also has a jetty that connects to the sea through a tunnel.