The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is locked in a fight with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) over Sh2 Billion set aside to buy a house to accommodate both agencies.
The power struggle ensued after representatives from the DPP's office tried to elbow their way into solitary control of the funds that were allocated to purchase office premises.
The scandal was revealed during a Justice and Legal Affairs Committee hearing chaired by Ainakboi Member of Parliament (MP) Mr Samuel Chepkonga on Thursday.
"I realised the last meeting we had over the matter was getting complicated as the DPP's office claimed seniority, arguing that it enjoyed more independence than EACC and should thus lead the process of buying the property," Chepkonga noted.
The committee chairperson also referred the warring parties to a previous directive he had issued for the joint venture to be annulled and each agency receive Sh1 Billion to acquire property independently.
"I proposed that you go it alone; after all, the allocation is under your name," he told the EACC representatives.
EACC's Chief Executive Officer Halakhe Waqo, however, described previous deliberations that had failed after the target building owners hiked their asking price during negotiations.
According to Waqo, the initial plan to buy a six-floor office block from the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) flopped after NSSF reviewed its pricing from Sh1.04 Billion to Sh1.36 Billion, frustrating further negotiations for the property.
The hearing ended contentiously with half the committee proposing that the EACC be mandated to acquire the Integrity Centre in which it is currently housed. The other half rejected the proposal on grounds that it would elicit lengthy legal battles.
