Tokyo embassy scandal shadows Antony Muchiri’s nomination as envoy to Turkiye
Back in 2013, Antony Muchiri, then Ambassador to Libya, was arrested along with former Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi and former Chargé d’Affaires in Japan Allan Mburu.
The controversy surrounding the Sh1.5 billion Tokyo embassy purchase resurfaced during the vetting of Antony Muchiri, nominated to serve as Kenya’s Ambassador to Turkiye.
Lawmakers on Wednesday probed his involvement in the high-profile deal, placing him under intense scrutiny.
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Muchiri, currently the chair of the Public Service Commission, appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations, led by Belgut MP Nelson Koech.
The focus of the session was on his role in the 2009 acquisition of Kenya’s embassy building and the ambassador’s residence in Japan, a deal that reportedly cost taxpayers over Sh200 million.
Back in 2013, Muchiri, then Ambassador to Libya, was arrested along with former Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi and former Chargé d’Affaires in Japan Allan Mburu.
They faced allegations from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for approving the purchase, “aware that a fair market price could have been obtained had proper procurement procedures been followed.”
Mwangi and Mburu were specifically accused of sanctioning 1.7 billion yen (approximately Sh1.5 billion) for the property.
All three were later cleared due to insufficient evidence. Muchiri, who declared assets worth Sh86 million, defended himself, stating he had been prosecuted merely for being a member of the Inter-Ministerial Tender Committee that approved the agreement.
The committee also questioned former Labour Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore, nominated as High Commissioner to Namibia, over her attempt to buy a Karen property from Gatanga MP Edward Muriu in 2023.
Bore explained that the house was offered at Sh120 million and that she had paid a Sh10 million deposit.
“Later, he changed his mind. I don’t know why he reneged on our agreement. I sought a refund and released the property,” Bore told the committee, adding that the issue was resolved peacefully.
She declared her net worth at Sh302.6 million.
Other nominees undergoing scrutiny included Lucy Kiruthu (Thailand) and Henry Wambuma (Burundi). Additional envoys awaiting vetting were Abdirashid Salat Abdille (Indonesia), Joseph Musyoka (Saudi Arabia), Edwin Afande (Austria), Jayne Jepkorir Toroitich (United Arab Emirates) and Judy Kiaria Nkumiri (Goma, DR Congo).
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