Senators reject Mandago’s plan to buy building
Wycliff Kipsang @wsang08
Uasin Gishu County Assembly has received a Senate report barring Governor Jackson Mandago’s administration from buying the National Bank building in Eldoret town at a cost of Sh570 million.
Senate committee on Finance and Budget says the county government should instead construct new county headquarters.
In its verdict, the Upper House observed that the building was old and dilapidated and it would not be prudent to use millions of shillings in public resources to buy it.
“The building earmarked for purchase is dilapidated, inhabitable and abandoned.
Total renovation would be higher than constructing new office blocks,” ruled the committee.
Communication from the Senate was relayed to the County Assembly by its Deputy Speaker Hosea Korir.
Suspect deal
A group of Uasin Gishu residents had written to investigative agencies and the Senate to stop the plan by the county government to purchase the building which they said would amount to plundering public resources.
Their action was taken after the Assembly approved a proposal by Governor Mandago’s administration for the plan.
Through Tripple K Advocates, the residents wrote to the Senate, the Controller of Budget, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations seeking to have the plan investigated.
“The deal was suspect as there was no public participation carried out as required by law and that the building was over-valued,”said Benjamin Kiptanui, one of the petitioners.
Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar had on June 24, 2020 presented the petition to the Senate which in turn committed it to the Standing Committee on Finance and Budget.
The committee deliberated on the matter before publishing its final report on March 2, 2021.
In the report, which is copied to the County Executive and the Assembly, the Senate Committee argues that it would be more expensive to acquire the building compared to constructing a new office block.
“The executive has many parcels of land which it can use to build its new county headquarters.
Any process to acquire the said building should stop forthwith,” ruled the Senate.
It made the ruling after hearing submissions from the county Executive and petitioners.
The county assembly had last year shot down the deal due to questions about the valuation of the building but later passed it, sparking public outcry.
Mandago has been thrown at loggerheads with several county leaders, including outspoken Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi who oppose the deal.
National Bank Building is located off Uganda Road adjacent to the current county headquarters.
