Why opening of multi-billion Bunge Tower should be halted – Cherargei - video Dailymotion

The Star Kenya

Controversy has hit the multimillion Bunge Tower with some lawmakers now calling for the postponement of its opening. https://rb.gy/3g7mgk

Transcript

00:00 Ombunge Towers began in 2010 and has taken 14 years to be completed with initial budget

00:06 of 5.8 billion Kenyan shillings or 580 US dollars that has been pegged on the project

00:14 then later revised to 7.1 billion Kenyan shillings with financial claims attracting 1.1 billion

00:22 and over 225 million in interest over delayed payments among other unknown variations hence

00:30 the total amount up to now from 5.89 billion as short to 9.8 billion Kenyan shillings.

00:41 Under Mark U there is no evidence of variation of 25% as provided by financial public finance

00:51 management act where it demands that if you have to vary a project you vary within 25%

00:57 considering 5.8 billion to 9.8 billion you can imagine that total difference.

01:03 Parliamentary service commission should be taken to task to explain the mystery of billions

01:08 surrounding the construction of Ombunge Towers which has been moving both the PAC members

01:14 that were there before from 2010 should and must explain this mystery which has been moving

01:22 target and has taken all the years to be completed.

01:25 It should also be noted that despite the relocations currently taking place several construction

01:31 works in some of the floors are still ongoing or others visibly included like the gym, the

01:36 kitchen and the other day the delegation from administrative arm of the parliament visited

01:42 but the lifts did not work and some of the offices don't have windows and members of

01:50 parliament might end up getting a disease called kwashagor or disease dundies when you

01:54 don't expose yourself to light and there is a lot of functionality.

01:59 If you see members of parliament are not willing to move from KICC which is dirty and does

02:05 not have lighting and toilets are smelly they don't want to move to a new building there

02:10 is a problem because they cannot see the sun, there is no windows and you know the administration

02:17 of parliament has not even taken interest to take Kenyans because it is a government

02:21 and a public institution to take Kenyans to visit and be able to see that building even

02:27 inviting media to do a tour within the building so that Kenyans can be satisfied and I think

02:33 it is very important.

02:36 It is interesting when we compare Bunge towers with central bank pension scheme tower that

02:41 is a few meters from the building that took not less than three and a half years to be

02:47 completed.

02:48 It is a 27 story or 27 floors and ultra modern building that costed 2.4 billion.

02:58 This is central bank pension and you can see it from where we are in Bunge.

03:03 It took only 2.49 billion and it is ultra modern.

03:07 This of Bunge has taken 9.6 billion and is not even ultra modern, contrary, which was

03:14 opened in May 2022 and therefore compared to Bunge towers we used over extra 6 billion.

03:21 So 2.49 billion we are using so we should be constructing around 3 new 27 story buildings

03:34 with what we are doing with one story building of Bunge towers.

03:38 We are by even as the republication of members go on the following information by parliamentary

03:43 service commission of Bunge towers and you know I want to be honest we are parliament.

03:49 Most of our work we do oversight.

03:51 We oversight the national executive, we oversight counties, we oversight other government independent

03:57 institutions.

03:59 How can we be the one violating the law or not being transparent yet we are the ones

04:03 who do normally oversight.

04:04 They say iniquity who comes to equity must come with clean hands.

04:08 How can we oversight other institutions when we are violating the law.

04:11 For example the BSE as well provided the following certificate of completion.

04:17 That's why I say it is complete, they have never provided an evidence.

04:20 Certificate of occupation from public works and ministry of health it has not been provided.

04:24 We are putting members and staff at risk if that building collapses today, god forbid

04:31 what happens.

04:33 The agency concerned like public works or public health will say they never approved

04:37 the usage of building.

04:38 So we need to see certificate of occupation and it's not much we ask it.

04:42 Asked by public health to assess the usableness, the ventilation, the aeration, even the standards

04:48 of the paint that we used.

04:50 And then number four explain the amount of pending works.

04:54 It's good to be transparent and honest.

04:56 How far we, who is following.

04:58 In fact the contractor has not handed officially the key to that building.

05:03 So it means one day if it's not paid it can block up the entire Bunga towers building

05:08 and auction to reclaim the land.

05:10 You remember the decision by Professor Nixon Sifuna, the judge.

05:15 He said if a government institution fails to pay you your pending bills you have a right

05:19 to go and auction to recover your land.

05:22 So one day members of parliament might be in office, the contractor might come, lock

05:26 it down and auction plus members of parliament plus the entire building to reclaim the amount.

05:32 And finally provide the total pending bills yet to be paid.

05:36 How much have we paid?

05:37 How much has to be paid?

05:39 That is too much and that is why I have insisted that as a, normally because I'm the vice chairperson

05:44 of county public accounts, even in an ECD classroom, we normally ask the governor and

05:49 counties to provide these things.

05:52 Certificate of completion, certificate of handing over from public works and relevant

05:56 agencies, certificate of occupation by public and all these documents have never been provided

06:00 for.

06:01 So in fact it is not safe for members of parliament to occupy those offices and even secretariat

06:06 and even anybody who is providing any support within the building.

06:10 [End of Audio]

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Why opening of multi-billion Bunge Tower should be halted – Cherargei

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