Reinstate suspended cabinet secretaries, URP MPs demand

Pressure is mounting on President Uhuru Kenyatta to reinstate suspended cabinet secretaries who have been cleared of corruption claims.

Led by Nandi Member of Parliament, the MPs also demanded that Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru be suspended over the National Youth Service tender scam.

A section of United Republic Party allied Members of Parliament, including Bomet Central Legislator Ronald Tanui and Yatta Member of Parliament Francis Mwangangi, have said it is unfair for the suspended cabinet secretaries to remain out of office yet Waiguru has not yet been suspended over the multi-million shilling NYS scam.

Speaking while addressing the media at Parliament, Keter further added that he would petition the National Assembly to probe NYS tender deals.

The Yatta Member of Parliament further advised that the entire devolution ministry be investigated; saying there might more corruption if just a unit of Devolution (NYS) lost close to Sh1 billion.

Last week, CORD party members asked the government to sack Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru for allegedly attempting to cover up graft at the National Youth Service (NYS).

The former prime minister had claimed that Waiguru’s name was deleted from the ‘list of shame’ released by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in March this year.

Waiguru has over the last two weeks said that recommendations made after an investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had called for the prosecution of 21 officials in the ministry over fraud.

The report released by the DCI showed fraudulent payments worth Sh791 milion had been made to suppliers of road construction and building materials between December 2014 and April 2015.

Besides the loss of nearly Sh800 million, the probe shows fraudsters further planned to siphon out close to Sh700 million more.

The transactions were said to have been processed through the NYS Senior Deputy Director General Adan Harakhe, whose position at the NYS had in itself raised controversy.

Barely a week ago, 1,000 residents of Kirinyaga County, who were mainly women, staged a peaceful demonstration at Kutus Area in support of the cabinet secretary.

The residents faulted calls by political leaders for resignation of Waiguru, terming the scam political, the residents urged President Kenyatta to ignore the calls for her resignation.

The demonstration follows last week’s protests in support of embattled Devolution CS in Kabete, Kiambu County that led to the arrest of ten people.