Do you remember the time when buildings standing on riparian land in Nairobi started getting down? Well, some Nairobi political leaders rushed to pick bribes from owners so that their buildings can be spared! But now, a Nairobi MCA got into a trap trying to corn a business man in the name of getting his building spared.
Former Embakasi South MP Irshad Sumra has said he was behind a video recording that led to the arrest of a city MCA for allegedly demanding Sh5.7 million.
Sumra yesterday told the Nairobi county assembly’s Powers and Privileges committee he advised Rahim Chatur, owner of the Concord Hotel in Westlands, to record Parklands ward representative Jayendra Malde when he went to pick the bribe.
He said Chatur had sought his advice in order to stop City Hall from demolishing Concord Hotel for sitting on riparian land. “I’m the one who organised the recording through Chatur, because I was not there when they met,” Sumra told the committee.
Malde was arrested by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) detectives on August 25, on suspicion he attempted to extort money from Chatur’s family, which is accused of grabbing public land in Gigiri. An EACC officer arrested Malde when he showed up to collect the Sh5.7 million.
“The bribe of Sh5.7 million demanded by Malde was to be shared with 19 other MCAs, who are members of the Nairobi county assembly Legal committee, to prevail upon Governor Mike Sonko not to order the demolition of Concord Hotel,” the EACC said after the arrest.
The commission released Malde on bail. He was not charged over the allegations.
Chatur denied giving Malde money. “Yes it’s is true that I learnt of his arrest through social media. It is also true that I did not give out the money, everything was handled by Sumra,” he said.
This is just but one of the many cases witnessed, among them being the tycoon who attempted to bribe Nairobi Governor Mike Mbuvi Sonko while in Mombasa.
Do you also remember video recording of a conversation between Sonko and Kiambu governor Ferdinand Waititu over the same issue of having buildings in Nairobi? Do you think that the demolitions only targeted specific individuals who couldn’t defend themselves?