- Atwoli is accused of receiving the money through a farm associated with Jirongo.
- The farm received the money from Nairobi county as compensation of a land it claimed in Mukuru slums.
Image: FILE
Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo and Cotu secretary general Francis Atwoli were Thursday summoned by the anti-graft agency over an inquiry into a Sh200 million land saga in Nairobi.
Politician David Murathe has said he was also summoned over an ongoing probe into the Kemsa scandal.
He said he would be there at 3 pm.
Atwoli is accused of receiving the money through a farm associated with Jirongo.
The farm received the money from Nairobi county as compensation for the land it claimed in Mukuru slums.
An investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission found out the land in question belonged to a primary school and dispensary.
“Those who claimed the money as compensation did not have even a title deed to warrant being paid,” an official aware of the probe said.
After the farm associated with Jirongo received the money some of it is said to have been sent to Atwoli.
It is the reason the agency wants the two to explain.
Atwoli is out of the country.
Jirongo arrived at the Integrity Centre gate on Thursday but refused to get in after realising there were journalists there waiting.
Atwoli said he had been asked to explain why he received the money that was seen to be illegal compensation.
He said he received about Sh60 million from Jirongo as part of a refund of Sh100 million he had lent him.
The balance was to be paid later. He said he did not know the source of the money.
The transaction is said to have taken place in 2020.
A court found that Jirongo was personally liable to pay Sh110 million to Atwoli.
The court ruled that the Cotu boss has the right to enforce repayment against the Sh100 million friendly loan he advanced Jirongo, plus Sh10 million interest.
Jirongo had in court papers admitted receiving Sh100 million friendly loan in 2016 from Atwoli that was payable in 50 days, with an additional Sh10 million interest.
He said the agreement had provided that the money would be recovered from the debt the Nairobi county government owes his company, Kuza Farms and Allied Ltd.
The judge in his ruling, dismissed this line of argument saying that “in the face of the unequivocal acceptance of August 10, 2016, by Jirongo, to be personally liable for the advanced sums, he cannot shift liability to Kuza.”
The farm is said to have demanded to be compensated and received more than Sh200 million.