The Kenya African National Union (KANU) has lost a case lodged to claim ownership of the iconic Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC).
Environment and Land Court has ruled that KICC belongs to the government.
While making the ruling, Justice Jacqueline Mogeni said the land on which the iconic building sits was illegally and unlawfully acquired by the independent party KANU after revoking the title issued to the Kenya African National Union party (KANU) in May 1969.
Justice Mogeni, further issued a declaration that the Ministry of Touism is the lawful owner of KICC questioning how late President Daniel Arap Moi was allocated the land that was surveyed and allotted for public use.
Further, she observed that KANU did not present evidence of the procedure of how the building was alienated and then allocated to the chairman of a political party. She gave guidance that the commissioner of lands had no power to alienate suit premises to KANU.
KANU filed a petition at the Environment and Land Court four years ago seeking to reclaim the building after the party was kicked out through an Executive Order on February 11, 2003.
KICC was officially opened by the country’s founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta on September 10, 1973.