State valuer backed Tokyo deal

An assistant commissioner of lands has said she recommended the purchase of the Tokyo Embassy since it gave the government more value for money than what was offered by the Japanese government.

Ms Teresia Kimondiu, a senior assistant commissioner of lands in charge of valuation testified that when she went to Japan to assess the options available to the Kenya government, she concluded that the one in which the chancery was built offered the best option.

“After assessing the options, my opinion was that the land being offered by the landlord of the premises in which the chancery and the ambassador’s residence was built was better than the undeveloped land being offered by the Japanese government,” said Ms Kimondiu.

She added that it was not unusual for the actual price to have a 15 percent variation from her valuation of the property, saying that her assessment was only an opinion but not the final agreement which should have been reached by the government and the seller.

She confirmed that the Tokyo embassy land was not the only property the government had acquired at a varied price, saying that in some instances the government had received more than her valuation assessment.

NONE WAS MORE SUITABLE

Ms Kimondiu testified that after she was appointed to head the valuation team to Japan, they assessed the lands offered but none was more suitable than the one in which the chancery was already built.

She was testifying in a case in which former Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi, ex-ambassador to Libya Anthony Muchiri and ex-Charge d’Affairs Allan Mburu are charged with fraud.

They have denied the allegations of conspiracy to commit corruption by approving purchase of the property at 1.75 billion Japanese yen (about Sh1.1 billion) while aware that a fair market price could have been obtained.

The hearing continues.