NSSF Tassia project was above board

By JOHN MUTHONI

The National Social Security Fund (NSSF) boss has come out to defend the authenticity of the Tassia project, saying that it was transparent and got the board’s approval.

Richard Langat, who is the managing trustee of NSSF, yesterday told The Standard that the development of infrastructure in the Tassia Settlement Scheme was imposed to the NSSF as the legal owner of the land through a conditional approval by the City Council of Nairobi in December 2008 and that it had been taken through the right tendering process that saw a Chinese company awarded the same after being the lowest bidder.

“The tender process and outcome was open, transparent and above board. The tender documents are available for scrutiny by any interested party,” said Langat.

He said there were no objections raised on the process accusing Central Organisation of Trade Unions boss Francis Atwoli of misleading the taxpayers about the issue. He added that the cost incurred would be entirely recovered from 5,500 plot owners through individual contributions of Sh920,000 per plot.

The land, bought from Tassia Coffee Estate Limited and Nikon Investment Limited at a cost of more than Sh2 billion, he said, was encroached by illegal squatters.

This, Langat said, was a factor of litigation before the court in 2004 which ruled in favour of the retirement benefits body that demolished the structures that had been developed thereon. He said after the eviction, NSSF realised that given the level of sub-division and development on the land, effecting the court order on eviction and demolition presented a logistical security challenge.