Deputy President William Ruto. An MP wants Mr Ruto investigated over
allegations of bribery that saw a motion to impeach Devolution cabinet
secretary Anne Waiguru abort last year. FILE PHOTO | DPPS |
Deputy President William Ruto should be investigated over
allegations of bribery that saw a motion to impeach Devolution cabinet
secretary Anne Waiguru abort last year, Nyando MP Fred Outa said on
Thursday.
The allegations are contained in the status
report of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) which is the
basis of ongoing investigations into alleged corruption.
According
to the report, the Chief of staff in the office of the Deputy President
Marianne Keittany diverted Sh100 million from the Legislative and
Inter-Governmental Relations Office and used it to mobilise MPs in the
campaigns to impeach the Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary in
July last year.
Mr Outa said the report, however, only
names Ms Keittany as culpable and leaves out the Deputy President under
whose office the offence occurred.
“If people are
stepping aside because of corruption, we cannot spare the Deputy
President, he is a leader and he too should step aside in the spirit of
collective responsibility because his office is implicated, there should
be no sacred cows,” the MP said.
ON THE SPOT
Ms
Keittany who has already stepped aside to allow investigations, is also
on the spot for allegedly diverting Sh200 million to fund a campaign
against one of President Kenyatta’s most trusted Cabinet Secretaries.
Mr
Outa, a Cord MP, argued that since the motion aborted, it means the
office of Deputy President succeeded in its mobilisation strategy hence
possible bribery of MPs during the time should be investigated.
“There
is a blanket condemnation of all members of the Public Accounts
Committee (PAC) and the Agriculture Committee in this report yet no
mention of all MPs with regard to the allegations that Sh100 million was
used to mobilise them during the Waiguru motion,” he said.
“Truly
the motion was defeated and this means all the MPs were compromised,
which then means that the entire Parliament should also step aside so
that the truth is known,” he argued.
The impeachment
motion against Ms Waiguru was filed by Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi
who developed cold feet and went missing at the last minute when the
motion came up for debate on the floor of the National Assembly.
GROSS MISCONDUCT
He
wanted Parliament to force President Uhuru Kenyatta to dismiss the CS
in line with Article 152 (6) of the Constitution, over alleged gross
misconduct and gross violation of the Constitution.
Mr
Linturi, a Jubilee MP, had managed to collect over100 signatures from
MPs in support of the motion, surpassing the 88 constitutional threshold
required to impeach a CS. He had accused the CS of allegedly misusing
her office and violating the law by abusing, intimidating and
threatening public servants under her docket.
The motion was, however, lost after the MP failed to show up on the day when it was due for debate.
On
Monday, former Prime Minister and Cord leader Raila Odinga poked holes
in the EACC report said one of the country’s highest office holder’s had
been left out.
Mr Odinga said the President had
deliberately left out sacred cows in the presidency,’ further
questioning why the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission
(IIEC) officials were left out for instance.
“There
can’t be corruption of this magnitude without the highest priest of the
country knowing. Everyone knows the high priest and he is not in the
list of shame,” he said at the Eka hotel along Mombasa road after
arrival from a foreign trip.
Mr Outa also said that the Devolution Cabinet Secretary should as well be investigated over the same.
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