Corrupt Land Registrars Authorize Billion Shilling Loans To Weston Hotel

Deputy President William Ruto’s Weston Hotel is estimated to be valued at over KSh600 million but has in its name loans amounting to over Sh1 billion.

Kahawa Tungu only recently found out that the hotel received huge amounts of money from both Kenya Commercial Bank (KCB) and Equity Bank between 2011 and 2015. On July 21, 2015 she authorized another Sh700 million loan from KCB.

This was after the title deed details were verified by a land registrar by the name of Sarah Chelimo Maina in 2011. Ms Maina reportedly enjoys close ties with the DP hence her prolonged stay at Ardhi House.

She is also behind the irregular payment of Sh1.5 billion to businessman Francis Mburu, owner of the Ruaraka Land.

In October 2014, KCB gave the Weston Hotel two loans of Sh150 million and another of Sh350 million after a land registrar identified as Carolyn Kituyi signed off on the 0.773 acres plot LR number 209/14372.

Ms Kituyi is also one of the persons accused of graft over the irregular authorization of Sh314 million payments to SGR land owners.

Recently, the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority through the Director Gilbert Kibe came out claiming ownership of the land that Weston Hotel is built on.

An Auditor General’s report also showed that the hotel had been advised to transfer the land back to the National Land Commission.

Many wonder how the lenders will recover the huge sums of money should the controversial hotel be demolished.

Read: KCB South Sudan Employees Down Tools, Demand Better Pay

Kenyans have asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to bring down the hotel which is said to have grabbed Lang’ata Road Primary School’s land.

In 2015, the hustler joked about repaying a loan meant for the construction of the hotel.

“You have offered that I should look for some money to buy a stake here but am sure you are aware that I am still paying the loan that I took to build Weston Hotel,” he said

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