Kenya MPs lose bid for school land as budget cut by Sh1b

Bidders needed to ensure their parcels have water and electricity and at a serene environment, quiet and secure that is conducive for training. PSC also wanted to avoid the pitfalls of lands within the city that have suspect ownership and are tied to court wrangles, requiring agents seeking to broker the deal to attach a letter from the owner appointing them as the sole dealers.

“The land should be free from encroachment, squatters or any litigation whatsoever. A person or institution with land should indicate their interest in selling and attach a copy of the title deed,” the tender read.

Parliament also sought to protect itself from variations insisting that the quoted price would not be fluctuated within a year of the tendering process.

However in his mini-budget, CS Rotich adjusted development spending under PSC by Sh1 billion and scaled back targets for acquiring land.

“Approved estimates have been adjusted to Sh13.58 billion, comprising of Sh10.4 billion for recurrent and Sh3.15 for capital expenditure which reflects a net decrease of Sh954 million meant for purchase of land to construct a training institute,” CS Rotich said in the supplementary estimates.

This indicates the spending is no longer a Government priority coming on the back of a deal to set up the training institute as a department at the University of Nairobi (UoN). The UoN through its Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies transform the proposed training Centre into a capacity building arm of Parliament in areas of legislative studies and diplomacy.

The institute was established in 2008 to set up a one-stop specialised resource centre for the training and capacity development of both the Members and staff of Parliament.

It would also extend capacity building to Members of the County Assemblies, especially as some were not well informed about constitutional and governance issues.