Kenya’s former permanent secretary for ICT, Bitange Ndemo, is among those who could face fraud charges and even arrest over what the country’s Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has termed as illegal dealings in the Ksh 1 billion buyout of land for the Konza technology city project.

The CID has said it has written to Kenya’s director of public prosecutions (DPP), Keriako Tobiko, recommending the arrest of Ndemo, Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama, Law Society of Kenya chairman Eric Mutua, among others, saying it had proof linking the listed names to ‘theft, forgery and misappropriation of funds’.

DPP Tobiko confirmed receipt of the letter, and said he would study it carefully before making a decision over whether to charge them or not.

The listed have since dismissed the claims, with Ndemo saying that the land acquisition process was done correctly to the best of his knowledge.

"Buying land in Kenya is problematic. #Konza due diligence was done to the best of my knowledge," Ndemo said in a post on social network Twitter on Friday.

CID; though, claim that Ndemo failed to exercise his powers and ensure that due diligence was carried out in the acquisition of the 5,000 acres piece of land, 64 Kms south of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital.

Konza city is a Ksh 1.2 trillion ($14.1 billion) project spearheaded by the Kenyan government and other agencies, with the aim of making Kenya a technology hub in Africa.

Despite the much hyped launch of the construction process last year by Kenya’s former president, Mwai Kibaki, little or no progress has taken place towards achieving a ‘vision 2030’ deadline regarding the Konza project, as several scandals have emerged in the process.