By Marline Atieno
The long-standing ownership dispute over the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) has been resolved, with the former ruling party Kenya African National Union (KANU) losing its claim to the iconic Nairobi landmark.
Even after being evicted, KANU continued to claim ownership of the KICC, listing it among its assets valued at about Ksh 6 billion.
The party’s secretary-general, Nick Salat, asserted that KANU possessed the title deeds for the building and contended that the government had taken over the property illegally.
KANU’s submissions to the Registrar of Political Parties included the KICC as one of its principal assets.
The recent findings by Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu introduced additional complexity to the matter.
The report disclosed that the title deed for the land on which KICC is situated is not registered under the state corporation that manages the facility.
This lack of clear documentation was a crucial issue in the dispute, as it underscored the absence of an official title deed for KICC.
Moreover, other related properties, including the Garden Square Restaurant and parking areas were also improperly documented.
KICC Chief Executive Officer James Mwaura expressed approval of the ruling, highlighting its significance in facilitating improvements to KICC’s financial performance, ultimately benefiting all Kenyans.
Justice Jacqueline Mogeni of the Environment and Land Court ruled that the Kenya African National Union (KANU) had unlawfully acquired the land in May 1969.
The court nullified the title issued to KANU and affirmed the Ministry of Tourism as the legitimate owner.
“The allocation of the property to KANU without adhering to legal procedures is unlawful and illegal,” stated Justice Mogeni.
She pointed out that KANU did not present evidence of the legal process through which the public land was alienated and allocated to the party, emphasizing that the commissioner of lands did not have the authority to allocate the property to KANU.