NSSF Tassia II Infrastructure Development Scandal

COTU/ADM.1/6/VOL.X/47

23rd December, 2014

PRESS STATEMENT

RE: NSSF TASSIA II INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT SCANDAL

The Central Organisation of Trade Unions, COTU (K) in December 2013, blew the whistle over the unprocedural manner in which the top management of the National Social Security Fund, (NSSF) caused the approval of a whooping Kshs.5.053 Billion allegedly towards the development of infrastructure at the Tassia II Estate in Embakasi.
The resultant threats, harassments, condemnations as well as outcry from the contributing members to the NSSF were unprecedented with COTU (K) receiving all manner of attacks from all manner of individuals as some of us continued to be viewed an obstacles to the “smooth’ operation of the NSSF.
However, the matter finally became a subject of investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and in the course of these investigations, I was personally summoned more than four times to appear before the EACC officers to record statements and state what I knew about the matter as were other persons including the Cabinet Secretary Ministry of Labour, Social Security and Services, the NSSF Board of Trustees’ Chairman and the Managing Trustee of the Fund.
Consequently and as individuals privy to the process, the investigations were completed in May this year but up to date, there has been no single information on the relevant files in regard to the investigations and any attempts to get information on the matter have been futile despite the many questions that COTU (K) continue to receive from our members who are seeking answers to the question who was behind the scam.
One year down the line, both employers and workers continue to wait in anticipation for which COTU (K) has been forced to now write to the Director of Public Prosecutions to personally intervene in the matter and demand for the file to be placed before him for a decision to be made and bring an end to these agony that currently characterizes most Kenyan workers as they await the outcome of these investigations.
Equally, as a country we are setting a dangerous precedence where a crime is overtly evident but some individuals connive to conceal the same for their personal interests and as an Organisation, COTU (K) is ready and willing to accept the verdict from the investigations and will no doubt say halleluiah.

Francis Atwoli, EBS, MBS
SECRETARY GENERAL