Drama unfolded at NSSF headquarters when three suspended officials attempted to get back to their offices claiming that they had been cleared by the Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko.
Managing trustee Richard Lang’at, finance and investment general manager Gideon Kyengo and property development manager Mutemi Nzatu attempted to return to NSSF but were turned away. It has emerged that the trio have allegedly been conning contractors and suppliers pretending they are back in office and would facilitate payments of pending bills.
NSSF board is said not to be comfortable with the group more so, after they invaded the offices and a disciplinary action is to be taken. They claimed William Ruto had ordered them to report at work. Cotu boss Francis Atwoli threatened to institute private prosecutions against them if it is true they had been cleared. The Tassia II project involving suspicious award in the tender that led to loss of millions will form the base of private prosecution. Already, lawyers have been instructed to start filing the private prosecutions.
Lang’at was also accused of flouting procurement rules in the award of a tender for design, supply and installation of a security surveillance system. He is said to have influenced award of the tender.
Kyengo and Nzatu were suspended over alleged fraud in the Sh5 billion Tassia II scheme. They are accused of irregularly approving the budget and awarding the tender to China Jiangxi International Kenya Ltd.
Sources say whereas Lang’at and his co-accused claim that they had been cleared by the DPP, it is now being said that the EACC has recommended administrative action against them over the Sh5 billion Tassia II tender awarded to the Chinese company for infrastructure development.
Langat’s crime, the EACC found, was exposing the fund to contractual obligations when all the money to finance the project had not been collected from the tenants and that the administrative management of the tender process was fraught with irregularities and impropriety. It is said the opening of the tender, the evaluation committee’s recommendations and the tender committee meeting to award the tender apparently all took place on the same day, December 17 2013.
Lang’at has also been accused of lying that the Nairobi county government had received Sh11, 244,000 as payment for submission and inspection of the project plan. However, it has been confirmed that the county government of Nairobi did not receive the payment.
Sources say even if Tobiko clears them, their survival will be a tall order. With the constitution allowing private prosecution, then it is a ghost to haunt them forever.
After the three were turned away, talk within the NSSF staff is that the three suspended bosses were vindictive, arrogant and isolated. It is said immediately Lang’at landed the plum slot, he transferred senior managers at the fund to outside stations for reasons best known to him. However, others say he was on a revenge mission. If he finds his way back, the staff is likely to revolt.
Sources now say Lang’at could face private persecution after it also emerged that he was allegedly involved in the bribery deals by Chinese contractors. Further, his construction of a residential house in Langata area without a bank loan has surfaced and raised eyebrows.
Lang’at and his team at one-time travelled to Dubai for a holiday where money is said to have exchanged hands with a Chinese firm representatives who had manipulated happenings and awarded a tender.
The current acting NSSF managing Trustee is Antony Omerikwa from Teso. The region voted for Ruto URP and if Langat has his way back with the DP blessings, poilticians from the region will feel betrayed. To have him removed, Langat and his allies have a dossier implicating Omerikwa in dirty deals at the Fund.
Citizen