Water and Irrigation Minister, Hon. Charity Ngilu

The revelations on the sale of Grand Regency Hotel have continued to draw sharp reactions from members of the coalition government. This, as it now emerges is fodder for fresh wrangles in the delicate Grand Coalition union. Women in Kenya have come forward to express their opinions in regard to the matter. A number of women MPs over the weekend expressed their take in regard to the matter.

On Saturday, Water and Irrigation Minister Charity Ngilu joined the debate by criticizing the sale, in what she described as “a dare corruption act and theft of public property.” She was categorical that details surrounding the sale of the hotel under controversy be made public. 

Hon Ngilu termed the sale of Grand Regency as “a grand theft of public resources by public servants who have been entrusted with the responsibility of safeguarding public property."

Persons involved in the mysterious sale of the prestigious hotel, Ngilu said should be made to resign from public service, adding that the implicated persons should pay back the money. Her sentiments came after the government admitted that it had sold the hotel to a Libyan firm.

On her part, Ms Martha Karua the Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs minister has also demanded full disclosure of the transaction, Ms Karua spoke on Saturday, after chairing a Narc Kenya meeting at a Naivasha hotel, Ms Karua said that her party wanted to be given all the information on the transaction. 

Karua, who is the party chairperson for Narc Kenya said, “Narc K believes in transparency and accountability especially in the management of public affairs and therefore encourages a full disclosure to the public about the disposal of the Grand Regency Hotel and the status of the related cases,”

During the same weekend nominated Member of Parliament Hon. Millie Odhiambo also called for the resignation of Mr. Kimunya and Central Bank Governor Prof Njuguna Ndung’u. The MP was speaking in Nyando constituency during the thanks giving ceremony for the area MP, Mr. Fred Outa. 

Finance Minister Amos Kimunya, earlier in the week in a statement to the press, said the hotel was sold to a Libyan investor at Sh2.5 billion.

The Finance Minister in his statement described the offer by the Libyan investor as irresistible, adding that the government could not refuse the offer.  "We had an offer made that we thought was too good to refuse. The highest valuation we had for the hotel was Sh2.1 billion but they offered Sh2.925 billion," said the Minister. 

Kimunya said the next closest offer was Sh1.8 billion which Treasury considered too low.

The revelation came barely a day after Lands Minister James Orengo exposed the controversial sale of the hotel. 

Orengo had said the hotel was sold for a paltry Sh2 billion far below its market price, which he claimed was pegged at Sh7.5 billion.

Orengo told a press conference in his office Monday that the hotel was sold to a Kenyan-registered firm, Libyan Arab African Investment Company Kenya Limited, and not to the Libyan government. 

Orengo added a fresh twist to the issue.  The Lands Minister revealed that the Grand Regency hotel was actually sold for sh1.85 billion and not the sh2.9 billion figure given by his Finance counterpart Amos Kimunya on Friday. 

These fresh revelations are bound to complicate the matter and could catalyze the debate surrounding the sale of the hotel. Analysts have predicated that the matter could provoke a fresh battle line among members of the coalition government.

However, Ngilu allayed fears that the row would divide the grand coalition cabinet, considering that the transaction was done in secrecy.

Minister Ngilu spoke when she inaugurated a new board to attend to the water shortage problem in arid and semi arid areas.