You belong in Kamiti, Duale tells Waiguru

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale (left) and former Devolution minister Anne Waiguru. PHOTOS | FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• Aden Duale urged the State to freeze Ms Waiguru’s assets as has been the case with Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi – the alleged conspirators in the grand theft.
• He warned Ms Waiguru that she had touched “a live wire,” with the filing in court of an affidavit accusing him of involvement in the loss of NYS funds.
• Mr Duale also declared total “war” against Ms Waiguru, saying he was taking sabbatical leave from targeting Opposition Cord coalition, Malindi and Kericho by-elections to focus on fighting the former minister.

The raging political battle over the loss of Sh791 million National Youth Service (NYS) funds deepened Wednesday after National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale took former Devolution minister Anne Waiguru head-on over claims that he is among top government officials who participated in the looting of public funds.

Mr Duale, who vigorously defended Ms Waiguru while she served as Cabinet secretary, turned his guns on the former minister with a declaration that she “belongs in Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.”

The Garissa Township MP demanded that the Assets Recovery Agency, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions move with speed to freeze Ms Waiguru’s assets as has been the case with Josephine Kabura and Ben Gethi – the alleged conspirators in the grand theft.

An angry Duale warned Ms Waiguru that she had touched “a live wire,” with the filing in court of an affidavit accusing him of involvement in the loss of NYS funds.

He spoke even as three MPs from the Rift Valley asked him to resign pending investigations into the theft of the Sh791 million.

Mr Duale also declared total “war” against Ms Waiguru, saying he was taking sabbatical leave from targeting Opposition Cord coalition, Malindi and Kericho by-elections to focus on fighting the former minister.

“If you look at those named, Duale, Murkomen (Kipchumba) and Farouk (Kibet) and you join the dots, you will see where the last dot ends,” he said adding that Ms Waiguru was sacked from the Jubilee administration and is no-longer its member.

Mr Murkomen separately accused Ms Waiguru of trying to draw a wedge between Jubilee coalition partners URP and TNA in an attempt to run away from the NYS theft.

READ: Waiguru links Ruto aides to Sh791 million NYS theft

He acknowledged that his law firm of Sing’oei, Murkomen and Sigei Advocates acted on behalf of Ben Gethi, the businessman at the centre of the NYS scandal, but denied ever threatening, intimidating or harassing the NYS management as alleged by Ms Waiguru.

“At the material time stated on the affidavit, Ben Gethi approached the law firm of Sing’oei, Murkomen and Sigei Advocates for representation at the formative stages of the NYS investigations and in due course he moved on to other law firms,” Mr Murkomen said. “As lawyers, we are sworn to offer legal services to anyone that comes to us.”

The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator, who is a close associate of Deputy President William Ruto, denied that his law firm acted as a contractor or supplier of NYS, adding that he at no time participated in a plot to impeach Ms Waiguru.

“Waiguru should stop resorting to diversionary tactics that are aimed at pitting the coalition partners against each other. That will not work as we are above that,” he said.

Mr Duale warned Ms Waiguru that she would not be allowed to drag “innocent people’s” names to her tribulations.

“Aden Duale will not allow you to use his name and Kenyans as human shields. What Waiguru needs are good lawyers not human shields,” he said.