Eyebrows have been raised by both the public and anti-graft bodies over what has been described as a questionable purchase of prime property by the Wajir County government from a local political insider who has since been identified as ex-Wajir Senator Abdirahman Olow.
It is reported that through a cabinet resolution, Wajir County government committed to buying Senator Olow’s Al-Bustan hotel which has remained shut down for months due to financial challenges which have resulted to the defaulting of bills, including a Sh2m electricity bill the which the hotel owes Kenya Power Wajir Branch.
Even more interesting is the fact that the controversial purchase is expected to cost the county government a staggering Sh350 million, which from reported figures, is close to double the amount (Sh 190 million) that Wajir’s former governor Ahmed Abdullahi spent on the current county headquarters.
This has further raised doubts on the estimated value of the hotel.
In an attempt to justify the heavy spending, a section of top Wajir county officials claims that once procured, the building will serve the essential purpose of hosting offices from the departments of Education and Municipality Services, since their designated spots are currently being occupied by the county assembly’s entourage.
Reports have also emerged that current Governor Mohamed Abdi has deliberately failed to complete the new assembly which was c0nstructed by the preceding administration.
As a result, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), as well as other investigative bodies who have sniffed mischief in the deal are aware of the first phase of payment (estimated to be Sh50 million) and which has been reportedly allocated in the 2020/21 budget.
