The Kenya School of Law has six months to repossess property taken by its former official.
The principal’s residence was sold to a company. MPs say this was against the law and accuse the former school director of culpability.
The Public Investments Committee, in a report tabled in the National Assembly, wants former director Leonard Njagi held accountable and barred from holding public office for misuse of public property.
“Njagi was eventually appointed and served as a judge of the High Court and continued to hold public office, despite PIC’s recommendations,” the parliamentary team says.
“Njagi should be barred from holding public office pursuant to the provisions of Section 66 of the Public Audit Act.”
The committee chaired by Mvita MP Abdullswamad Nassir says Njagi fraudulently transferred ownership of the principal’s house along Bishop’s Road, Kilimani, to Rockville Ltd.
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He is listed as one of the company directors, the report says.
The committee says the recommendations of the 11th Parliament have not been implemented.
Its members have taken issue with a directive from Deputy Solicitor General Muthoni Kimani that the institution consider the property lost. They insist that the matter be revisited to ensure justice for the school.
The institution offers post-graduate diploma courses to Law graduates and paralegal studies graduates.
When officials of the KSL appeared before the committee, they confirmed that plot No LR 209/6238 measuring 0.96 acres had the KSL house, which was reserved by the government as the official residence of the school principal.
The property changed hands in a way the lawmakers say was irregular. On November 3, 1997, a grant lease was “purportedly” issued to Rockville Limited and later a land title was issued and registered under grant No LR 74856.
The property, the report says, was sold to M/S Standard Assurance (K) Ltd on June 12, 2002, for Sh50 million.
“The matter was reported to the then-Kenya Anti- Corruption Commission, which, on January 2007, made an application to the High Court under Order 56 of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2003,” the committee says.
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It raises concerns that the case has been pending in court under miscellaneous application No 42 of 2007, awaiting determination.
“No effort appeared to have been made by the school to have the case expeditiously dispensed with and the property reverted to the school,” the report reads.
In his response, Kenya School of Law CEO Henry Mutai told the lawmakers they were waiting for M/S Standard Assurance (K) Ltd, which was put under receivership, to “get back on its feet.” Once the firm is up and running, the matter would be revived and concluded, Mutai told the legislators.
The insurance company used the title to secure a Sh10 million loan from Diamond Trust Bank.
