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