MPs Question Nyayo Tea Zones Over Financial, Asset Management Issues

The Public Investments Committee on Social Services, Administration, and Agriculture (PIC-SSAA) has raised serious concerns over financial and asset management at Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation.

The committee, chaired by Nabakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe, flagged multiple discrepancies during an audit of the corporation’s financial records spanning 1999 to 2024.

Nyayo Tea Zones CEO David Chepkwony appeared before the committee, facing tough questions over unaccounted assets, missing ownership documents, and an ongoing investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

One of the key concerns was the corporation’s motorcycles, which lacked proper ownership records. Chepkwony attributed the issue to a system upgrade by the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) that had disrupted services.

However, MPs remained unconvinced. “It is concerning that a state corporation cannot account for its own assets,” Wangwe said, calling for greater transparency.

The committee also questioned the corporation about a stolen vehicle with conflicting registration records.

While Nyayo Tea Zones reported its registration as KCA 002F, Amaco Insurance records showed it as KCA 002A.

“How does the same vehicle have three different registration numbers across official documents? This raises serious accountability issues,” the committee’s vice-chairperson stated. The MPs directed the corporation to provide a full explanation in their next appearance.

Another contentious issue was an EACC investigation involving an individual whose name appeared in three different variations—Josiah K. Sang, Joseph Kimutai Sang, and Josiah Kimutai Sang. Wangwe demanded clarity on the individual’s true identity.

“The corporation must clarify who exactly is under investigation. These inconsistencies in official documents are unacceptable,” he said.

The committee has ordered Nyayo Tea Zones to submit a detailed report clarifying the identity of the individual under EACC investigation, providing proof of land ownership by the corporation, and presenting a full report on the stolen vehicle with the correct registration details.

Additionally, the corporation must submit proper documentation for its motorcycles and an updated asset register listing all land parcels, specifying those with and without title deeds, as well as identifying any grabbed properties and the individuals who benefited.

Nyayo Tea Zones Development Corporation is expected to present these clarifications in its next session before the committee.