Former Nairobi governor Evans Kidero has hit out at the anti-graft agency over what he terms malice, witch-hunt and intimidation.
He claimed he does not own most of the 13 pieces of land the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission says belong to him and is investigating how he acquired them.
Documents seen by the Star show some parcels the EACC listed are registered in the names of blue-chip companies the former governor says he does not own. The commission had on August 20 written to the Lands Registrar, seeking documents relating to the 13 parcels.
“The commission is conducting investigations relating to the above listed parcels,” deputy director of investigations Humphrey Mahiva said in the letter.
It wanted the certificates of search, certified copies of respective deed files and certified copies of respective correspondence files.
The EACC believes the parcels were acquired fraudulently by Kidero or by companies associated or linked with him.
But certified certificates of search for parcels LR 209/12981 and LR 209/2671 show the plots belong to Toner Holdings Ltd and Vikraman Ltd respectively.
The documents are signed and stamped by the Registrar of Titles.
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Toner Holdings Ltd is a real estate company – the developer of the Muthaiga Heights. The documents show the land, which measures 1.6 acres ( 0.67814 hectares) was granted to the firm by then President Daniel Moi on September 1, 1991, for a 99 years term lease.
Vikraman Ltd was allocated the plot, measuring 0.12 acres ( 0.0521 hectares) on October 1, 2000, for a lease term of 50 years.
But Kidero said he does not own the companies and said the commission is hell-bent on tarnishing his name. “These are not the only ones, more than a half of the land and companies they claim I own are not mine. And this just indicates the level of witch-hunt they have reached and how determined they are to intimidate me,” he said.
Kidero said the commission is fighting to implicate him in corruption, but does not have evidence to link him to graft.
“This is why they have resorted to witch-hunting, threats, intimidation and name tarnishing. I won’t sit back and watch as they do all this to me. I’m a law abiding citizen and I will not allow myself to be intimidated,” he said.
Late last month, EACC detectives raided Kidero’s home in Muthaiga and a private office in Westlands and seized several documents they believe would help sustain Kidero’s prosecution in the abuse of office case in court.
Kidero told the court the commission used a faulty warrant to search his home. He was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit fraud on August 9. Kidero denied the charges.
In the case, the former governor and five other former officers of the Nairobi government are accused of facilitating the loss of Sh213,327,300 between January 16, 2014 and January 25, 2016. The trial begins on May 29 next year.
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