Battle for Lake Basin mall goes to Parliament

Lake Basin Development mall. [File, Standard]

The push to open the Sh4.1 billion Lake Basin Development mall in Kisumu has now moved to the floor of Parliament.

Kisumu Central MP Fred Ouda filed an urgent motion seeking to know why the mall cannot open its doors to the public six years down the line after its completion.

“We also want to be told why ongoing investigations cannot end to allow business elites who have moved into the premises to operate smoothly devoid of fear,” he said. 

Ouda wants culprits at the centre of tender saga at the mall held liable for the mall’s woes.

He claimed it defied logic that the facility couldn’t be officially opened because it still had audit queries. Audit showed the project has a variation cost of Sh20O million. EACC has been carrying out investigation into what led to the project cost adjustments. They have been to the facility nine times. They have also questioned and taken a series of former board of directors and officials’ documents to aid the probe.

LBDA chairman Odoyo Owidi has been on the record calling for an end to staff and board harassment from EACC, to allow the mall start generating enough revenue. The mall has capacity to generate up to Sh300 million in a year. Owidi like Ouda argued if fully operational the mall would create more jobs for the locals.

Ouda in his motion, wants Parliament to order for speedy conclusions of the ongoing probe to allow the mall realise it’s primary potential. The law maker vowed to lobby for support of fellow MPs to let the motion sail through.

On the same note, the Senate has written to LBDA managing director Raymond Omollo asking him to explain the delayed handover of the mall to the Authority and in extension to Kisumu residents. “State whether there has been any interrogation of the report of the Auditor General on the project dated 24th January 2017, and if so table the findings of the interrogation,” the letter signed by Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, reads in part.