Firm wants to auction President's seat

A presidential seat made in 1992, approximated to have cost tens of millions of shillings might be sold after the company that designed it moved to court seeking orders to auction it for failure by the Government to pay for it.

Furcon Ltd, a company that had been awarded the tender to make the seat by the Office of the President, wants the High Court to issue orders to have the seat disposed off in antiques auction or sold to world museums as a way of recovering monies used to design it.

"The plaintiff (Furcon) desires to dispose off the presidential instrument either by itself or agents by auctioning it with world museums or international antiques auctions as a way of recovering its losses of designing, manufacturing, processing and storage," the company says in its petition before the High Court.

According to court papers, the company was supposed to carry out extensive research to produce an instrument of authority that would befit state ceremonial functions.

The company was to make a design and subsequently make the throne after the approval by the board which was chaired by the then Chief of General Staff Mahammud Mohammed and assented by the President.

 PRESIDENT'S REGALIA

Alternatively, the company wants the Government compelled to pay over Sh50 million as the cost for manufacturing, the profit, storage and security for the seat.

"I pray that the plaintiff be allowed by an order of the court to dispose off the presidential instrument which was passed on to the Government of Kenya on September 29, 1992 and joined other insignia of authority but due to non-payment it is still with the company since 1993," the petition partly read.

Furcon Ltd Director Solomon Njoroge Kiore said he was supposed to deliver the seat to Kahawa Garrison but due to its comfy nature he was ordered to deliver it to the Presidential Lounge at the Agricultural Society of Kenya grounds at Jamhuri Park where Kenya's second President was to officiate the show.

"On September 29, 1992 His Excellency the second President of Kenya Daniel arap Moi had used the same instrument while performing public duties during the opening of the Nairobi International Show," Njoroge said in the application filed yesterday.

He added that the President had ordered that the seat be retained at the show grounds on permanent basis and to be used for presidential lounge. Mr Njoroge said he had to make another one for Kahawa Garrison, which he was paid for.

Njoroge said that ASK later requested him to pick the seat, adding that the society knew it had been included in the President's regalia and had exclusive use by the head of state. Speaking to The Standard outside the court, Njoroge said the seat can fetch around Sh300 million if auctioned today.