National Land Commission (NLC) chairman
Muhammad Swazuri received a Sh1.2 million bribe to process compensation
for land the government targeted for acquisition to build the standard
gauge railway (SGR), a petitioner seeking his removal from office told
MPs yesterday.
Mugo
Njeru told the National Assembly’s Land committee that Dr Swazuri was
to receive an additional Sh25 million if the petitioner successfully got
paid for the seven acre piece of land worth Sh43 million.
Mr
Mugo told MPs how Dr Swazuri, through an aide Elijah Fadhili Yaa
together with lawyer S. Ruwa, allegedly coerced him to pay the bribe
dubbed (Mbuzi) in order not to miss out on compensation for railway
land. The petitioner claimed that Mr S. Ruwa is the current speaker of
the Kwale County Assembly.
Mr Mugo said he travelled to
Mombasa in December 2015 where he met Mr Yaa, who chauffeured him from
the Moi International Airport to Lotus Hotel in Nyali where they met Dr
Swazuri and a woman he identified as his eldest wife.
The woman did not leave the car, but Dr Swazuri alighted and joined them for a cup of tea.
The woman did not leave the car, but Dr Swazuri alighted and joined them for a cup of tea.
“After
some introductions, I told Dr Swazuri that I had come with his Mbuzi as
directed by Mr Yaa and he proposed that I should give it to Charo (Yaa)
who knows how it will reach him. I was loaded with liquid cash, which I
left in Mr Yaa’s vehicle,” he said.
Mr Mugo said Mr
Yaa immediately left the hotel after a brief chat with Dr Swazuri and
that Dr Swazuri asked Mr Yaa to deliver the money to him at another
location in Nyali.
“Yaa later confirmed to me through numerous text
messages that the consignment (money) reached Swazuri. I have text
messages towards that effect and we have printed them out for tabling
before you,” Mr Mugo told the MPs.
He said NLC was to
pay him Sh82.8 million for an acre of land for LR No 15100 and also Sh43
million for LR No 9084 measuring seven acres that belonged to his wife,
Edith Njeri Mugo.
He accused Dr Swazuri of
compensating Tanzanian grain miller Bakresha using a forged title deed
instead of making payments to his company, Damla Enterprises Limited.
Mr
Mugo alleged that Dr Swazuri, through his conduits, was demanding a
further Sh25 million out of the Sh43 million for the remaining parcel of
land belonging to his wife.
A third party, Dasahe
Investment Limited, had also claimed the said piece of land on grounds
that it had made some deposits seven years down the line (1999).
“I
own some land somewhere on Mombasa Road and there has never been a
dispute. One acre out of eight was acquired by Kenya Railways for the
SGR and we were all invited by NLC to appear before the committee
reviewing grants for matters of compensation,” Mr Mugo told the
committee.
Mr Mugo said he furnished the NLC committee
chaired by Abigail Mbagaya with the relevant documents pertaining to
ownership of the land.
He tabled an advisory from the
director of survey that was sought by Ms Mbagaya, which he claimed
indicated that he was the rightful owner of the land and which Dr
Swazuri overlooked.
“I can’t react to it right away. I
have just arrived from the US. I was stranded in Washington for 24 hours
and as a result I acquired pneumonia. I just come from hospital and I
am not ready to respond,” Dr Swazuri said last evening.
He is due to appear before the committee at 10 am this morning.
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