Documents have emerged which suggest that the Director of Public Prosecution has a file implicating at least 10 Cabinet Secretaries in the Ruaraka land saga.
Reports have revealed that at least 30 top government officials, among them three principal secretaries, three commissioners of the National Lands Commission and several business persons are being probed over the Ksh1.5 billion Ruaraka Land scandal.
Files sent to DPP Noordin Haji for his perusal and determination indicated that EACC had identified properties worth Ksh450 million in Meru, Lamu and Nairobi acquired from proceeds of the Ruaraka land compensation money paid out in January.
Detectives followed a money trail which exposed how the Ministry of Education on January 20, 2018, deposited Ksh1.5 billion in the National Land Commission’s account at the National Bank in Upperhill.
[caption caption="DPP Noordin Haji"]
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Later, the money was transferred to the account of Whispering Palms Estates Limited, and a day later, Ksh930 million was deposited in the account of Champions Kenya Limited — a surrogate of the company that was paid partial compensation for the land on which Ruaraka Secondary School and Drive Inn Primary Schools are built.
According to the investigators, what raised eyebrows was how fast the money was distributed among companies and individuals, amid allegations that the payment was unjustified.
The batch of Ksh930 million deposited in the account of Champions Kenya Limited was reportedly shared out within 20 days.
Reports point out that on January 31, two companies and two individuals were paid Ksh9.6 million within hours while a chunk of the money was paid out on February 1st to Sawe & Company Advocates, Albert Kamunde and NR Nyamai.
On February 12, a Mr Yassir Hassan Mbarak was paid Ksh270 million and he immediately converted it to U.S dollars at a Nairobi Forex Bureau.
[caption caption="EACC CEO Halakhe Waqo"]
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The remaining Ksh570 million in the Whispering Palms account was distributed to various bodies and individuals within 48 hours of payment by the National Lands Commission.
EACC CEO Halakhe Waqo maintained that the commission was treating the Ruaraka land saga as a clear case of theft of public funds, and those implicated would be brought to book.
