In a fresh wave of allegations that has rocked Kenya’s public sector, Simon Nyutu Gicharu, the founder of Mount Kenya University (MKU), and Johnson Adera, the former Director of Legal Services at the Anti-Counterfeit Agency (ACA), are at the center of a new land scandal. This comes on the heels of Adera’s ongoing trial for a Ksh. 40.3 million bribery case, painting a picture of systemic corruption within the corridors of power.
A Tale of Dubious Land Deals
The scandal emerged from the Turkana County in 2015 when Gicharu convinced local authorities to allocate community land for the establishment of the Mount Kenya University Lodwar Campus of Science and Technology Centre. This seemed a noble venture aimed at enhancing education in the region. However, the narrative took a dark turn when, shortly after the campus was built, Gicharu sold the university to Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology for Ksh. 2 billion.
This sale has been shrouded in controversy, primarily due to the land’s original communal ownership and the questionable legality of the transaction. Insiders claim that Gicharu essentially sold land that was not his to sell, exploiting the community’s trust for personal profit.
Adera’s Involvement: A Conflict of Interest
Johnson Adera’s involvement in this transaction has been particularly damning. While serving as a government attorney for the ACA, Adera was not supposed to engage in private legal practice due to his non-practising allowance. Yet, he allegedly played a key role in facilitating this deal, signing off on documents that would normally require an independent legal review.
The situation is further complicated by claims that Adera was supposedly on an official trip in Tanzania when the transaction took place. However, sources allege that he made a covert return to Kenya to oversee the deal’s completion before heading back to Tanzania, all funded by Kenyan taxpayers.
The Aftermath and Alleged Rewards
As a token of gratitude for his role in this lucrative deal, Gicharu reportedly arranged for the purchase of an office suite at Commadre Suites near Yaya Centre for Adera at a cost of Ksh. 18 million. This alleged reward further fuels the narrative of a quid pro quo arrangement between the two, suggesting that personal gains were prioritized over public interest.
Broader Implications and Legal Repercussions
This scandal not only questions the integrity of land transactions in Kenya but also highlights the potential misuse of public office for private gain. Legal experts are closely watching this case, predicting that new court proceedings could be on the horizon for both Gicharu and Adera, especially given the extensive evidence of impropriety.
The situation reflects a broader trend of corruption and mismanagement of public resources, echoing other scandals involving Gicharu. For instance, there have been past allegations against him for intellectual property theft, where a US-based firm accused Gicharu of fraud and using their intellectual property without consent. This case, although settled outside court, did little to quell the public’s growing distrust of his business practices.
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