On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, Kisumu officials moved to involve the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission in a dispute over a land debt they say was linked to former Cabinet minister Henry Kosgey and his company, Kaburwo Investments Limited.
The county’s Land Task Force Committee said it had already written to the anti-graft agency to examine how the amount allegedly owed to Kisumu County dropped from Sh4.89 billion to Sh83,074. Nicholas Migot, the committee secretary, said the firm owed the county the money in land rates tied to large parcels in Kibos.
Mr Migot said documents in the committee’s possession pointed to a ministerial memo in February 2016 that waived the rates, but he said no supporting document had been produced. He added that, in any event, only penalties can be waived and not the principal land rates owed.
County records, according to the official, do not explain how the debt was reduced to the smaller figure. The committee wants the EACC to establish what happened to the balance and whether the waiver process was proper.
Mr Migot also said former Alego Usonga MP Peter Oloo Aringo owes the county Sh447 million. He said the county is targeting defaulting parcels for recovery so they can be put to development.
