National Assembly’s Public Investments Committee has demanded Ronald Ngala Utalii College in Kilifi fences off 20 acres of its land to lessen the risk of land grabbing.
The committee noted that out of the 60 total acres only 40 acres have been fenced leaving the other 20 acres exposed to the risk of encroachment.
In a report, the committee noted that had taken inordinately long to fence the remaining 20 acres of land thereby putting it a risk of grabbing.
“Though the board approved such fencing in its 135th Meeting held on February 3, 2022, and also placing a caveat on the entire land, it is the committee’s hope that management would expedite implementation of the said resolution,” the report said.
The committee recommended that the accounting officer for the Tourism Fund should ensure that all the land meant for the college is fenced and a caveat placed to secure its title within the first half of the 2022/2023 fiscal year.
The college had been initially established as Kenya Utalii College, Coast branch vide Cabinet Memo Ref: CAB.58/4A of 18 September 2007 at REA Vipingo site on 60 acres of land donated by REA Vipingo Plantations Ltd.
The committee also cited irregularity in the recruitment of consultants in its report.
“Procurement of consultants should have been done through the expression of interest and not request for proposals,” the report added.
“This management decision may have limited the competition of possible suppliers of the service.”
The committee recommended that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission expedites the investigation into the procurement process of the consultants and make appropriate recommendations pursuant to its mandate.
