Parliament has summoned three Cabinet Secretaries (CSs) over the loss and subsequent irregular transfer of a prime school land valued at Sh24 billion in the upmarket Nairobi’s Gigiri area.
The three CSs-John Mbadi (Treasury), Migos Ogamba (Education), and Esther Wahome (Lands) are required to appear before MPs to shed light on how the land belonging to the Kenya School of TVET, formerly Kenya Technical Trainers College (KTTC), was mysteriously transferred to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs after the title deed was reported lost after surrender to the Ministry of Education.
The National Assembly’s Public Investment Committee on Education and Governance, chaired by Bumula MP Jack Wamboka directed the three CS’s to appear before it to explain why they failed to implement a House directive issued on March, 15, 2023, requiring that the ownership of the land be returned to the school.
Mr Wamboka on Wednesday August 8, 2025 ordered the committee Clerk to invite Mr Mbadi, Mr Ogamba and Ms Wahome to explain why the school had no title deed for its prime land.
“We made a recommendation that was adopted by the House in 2023 that the land reverts to the school. Why has it not been implemented? I direct the Clerk to write to the Cabinet Secretaries for Treasury, Education and Lands to appear before us to explain why the recommendation of this House has not been implemented,” Mr Wamboka ruled without providing timelines.
Mr Wamboka issued the directives after the Kenya School of TVET (KSTVET) Chief Executive Edwin Tarno said the institution is yet to receive the title deed despite writing numerous letters to the Treasury and the Ministry of Lands through its parent Ministry of Education. KSTVET is a technical teacher education and technology training institution.
Bumula MP Jack Wanami Wamboka.
Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group
Auditor-General Nancy Gathungu has questioned the irregular transfer of school land valued Sh24 billion for which the school forwarded the original title deed to the Education CS, through a letter reference MOEST/VTT.CONF/9/4/3 on September 9, 2016.
Ms Gathungu said the school management was notified of the loss of the original certificate of lease through a letter reference MOEST/CON/VTT/13/1(53) dated February 2, 2021.
“However, the title of the land was transferred on February 16, 2022, to the Treasury CS as a trustee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,” Ms Gathungu said.
“The involvement of the school’s Council in the transfer could not be confirmed. The Public Investment Committee in the meeting of March 15, 2023, noted the issue and directed that the ownership be reverted to the school.”
Ms Gathungu said at the time of concluding the audit in March 2024, the directive was yet to be implemented.
“We have written several letters through the ministries of Education and Land. Lands Principal Secretary replied, saying they are in the process of following up the matter,” Dr Tarno told the committee when he appeared before it to respond to audit queries on the school’s books of accounts for the year to June 2024.
Dr Tarno tabled three letters dated May 4, 2023, June 2, 2025, and June 15, 2025 detailing frustrations in securing the title for the KSTVET.
KSTVET, through the Education CS, wrote to the Lands CS on May 4, 2023, indicating that it was informed that the replacement of the title deed was done but ownership transferred on February 16, 2022, to the Treasury CS as a trustee for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“However, the Treasury CS wrote to the Lands' counterpart, stating that the National Treasury was not in possession of the said title deed,” Dr Tarno wrote.
Dr Edwin Tarno at a past event.
“We therefore request that the Title Deed be transferred to Kenya School of TVET to ensure compliance and enable the College to re-value the land as required by the law.”
The committee had in June 2023 recommended that the Education CS conducts investigations on the circumstances surrounding the loss of the Certificate of Lease at the ministry, and takes administrative action on those entrusted with its custody and reports to the National Assembly within three months of the adoption of the report.
The ministries of Lands, Treasury and Education were to ensure that the college gets a new certificate of lease within three months of adoption of the report.
