Former Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala is facing prosecution of graft allegations linked to the construction of the Coast Branch of Kenya Utalii College (later renamed Ronald Ngala Utalii College-RNUC).
It was one of the projects that were to be funded by the Government under the Vision 2030 flagship projects.
EACC report established that the Tourism Fund managers inflated the cost of setting up the college to Ksh10.4 Billion against the initial cost of Ksh1.95 Billion.
It was established that the Tourism Fund contracted private consultants to come up with drawings and designs of the college and also to supervise the main contractor.
Photo|Courtesy
The drawings and designs were done and approved with a cost estimate of Ksh8.6 Billion.
Investigations established that the Cabinet in its memo signed by The Minister for Tourism on 22nd May 2007 and Minister for Finance on 20th August, 2007, approved the construction of Utalii College in Vipingo at a cost of KSh. 1.948 Billion.
It was further established that not all the whole amounts paid to the firms were legitimate, as the firms had been overpaid to a total of Ksh1,483,460,914.97.
“On 1st August, 2023 a report was compiled and forwarded to the DPP with recommendations to charge former Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, former Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, former Chief Executive Officer of the Catering Tourism and Development Levy Trustees, the then Chief Executive Officer of the Catering Tourism and Development Levy Trustees, the Procurement Manager of the Catering Tourism and Development Levy Trustees, Baseline Architects, Rebman Malala T/A Ujenzi Consultants, Armitech Consulting Engineers and members of the Tender Committee,” the report read in part.
