National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri (left), Land Cabinet
Secretary Charity Ngilu and Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero after
supervising the demotion of a wall erected by a land grabber. CS Charity
Ngilu was quoted by one newspaper warning that if the President pushed
her too far, she would “name the name behind the names” and tender her
resignation. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP.
Last week’s public naming of the directors of Airport View
Housing Limited, the company frustrated from developing the playground
next Lang’ata Road Primary School, undermines Kenya’s reputation as an
investment destination.
Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity
Ngilu had put the country on notice that should the President continue
to pressurise her to reveal the identities of the investors, she would
do so and resign.
When she unveiled the names of
Mandip Singh Amrit, Manjit Singh Amrit, Harbans Singh Amrit and Kamal
Prakash Amrit — all of P.O. Box 45403 GPO — it became apparent why
naming investors was not such a good idea. The company’s official postal
address is shared with a building and contracting firm in Nairobi to
save subscription costs, but that is to be expected of internet
imposters. After all, a London-based architectural firm also gives the
family postal address as its own.
Considering that the
Amrit Singhs had taken steps to share one postal address that was quite
different from that given for Airport View Holdings when the company was
registered on August 10, 1989 — long before postal codes came to Kenya —
demonstrating a clear desire to separate family affairs from business,
the gratuitous intrusion into their privacy was an unwarranted act of
racial profiling, official discrimination.
EARLY DEATH
Certain
types of business are so sensitive to sunshine that regular exposure
could wilt them to an early death. Buying prime land off colonial
companies in Nairobi’s Karen area, transacting delicate deals with
nine-year-olds, supplying maize to government and leasing aircraft to
high-profile travellers are not the kinds of business one undertakes
under the spotlight of public scrutiny.
Given the level
of security in Kenya, knowing everyone who owns something and the
extent of their interest could place such individuals in harm’s way.
There are, therefore, many companies at the government registry that
voluntarily offer to pay their taxes without records, uphold the law and
promote public good. For example, Mr Manjit Singh Amrit has been
careful enough to be a director and shareholder of the company without
owning a single share in it.
Kenya has always respected
the anonymity of its benefactors, a trait that has attracted many
investors such as the Amrit Singh family to not only invest but also do
good for the community. Hand in hand with developing playgrounds, the
family also established the Amrit Foundation in response to the strife
and suffering of communities and particularly children across the
country.
A product of the family’s generosity was
evident in police giving pupils of Lang’ata Primary a taste of tear gas
as part of early life lessons on what is likely to occur should they
choose to join thoughtless demonstrations.
UPSET THE PRESIDENT
According
to the organisation’s website, its founders work on a social venture
philanthropy model that promotes zero tolerance to corruption and
misappropriation within the Foundation — something that must have
exercised Mrs Ngilu’s mind considerably before naming the Airport View
proprietors.
Given the Amrit profile, and its extensive
philanthropy in four schools in Kenya, it is understandable why naming
any of its members in relation to the development of a playground would
upset the President and force a Cabinet Secretary to resign.
Excessive
transparency that allows people to poke their noses into company
registries is just the kind of behaviour that undermines economic
development and keeps many companies backward.
Instead
of thinking about the next project, investors would be busy explaining
themselves on television about crimes that have not yet been committed.
The secrecy of the company registry must remain sacrosanct, or investors
will start leaving in droves.
kwamchetsi@formandcontent.co.ke
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