War on corruption to go on, insists Khalwale
From right: Dr Bonny Khalwale, Mr Danson Mungatana and Dr Patrick Lumumba during a public forum on the Constitutional Bill in a Nairobi hotel on Thursday. Photo/William Oeri
Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale, whose motion of censure against Agriculture minister William Ruto was defeated in Parliament on Wednesday, says he will not relent in his fight against corruption.
Addressing a public forum at a Nairobi hotel on Thursday, Dr Khalwale denied that he was a gun for hire. “Mr Ruto won the hearts of the politicians while those of us who supported the motion, won the hearts of the starving Kenyans who we will continue to serve,” he said.
Political interests
The MP said the defeat of the motion, which targeted Mr Ruto on claims of mishandling maize stocks, showed that Parliament did not have the capacity to solve the country’s problems.
He said that in the current Parliament, political interests superseded those of the public. “MPs showed yesterday that they are more concerned about their political interests. Parliament entrenched the fact that MPs can support corruption in the country.”
The Ikolomani MP was accompanied by Medical Services assistant minister Danson Mungatana, who also voted for the motion. Mr Mungatana said corruption had fought back hard in Parliament to the detriment of hungry Kenyans.
The two MPs argued that Parliament had voted to protect the political career of the minister while the welfare of millions of starving Kenyans went unaddressed.
Dr Khalwale thanked the 20 other MPs who voted for the motion, noting that they had made clear their motive of being in Parliament – “that we are there to push the agenda of those who voted us in”.
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights vice-chair Hassan Omar and constitutional lawyer Patrick Lumumba were also at the forum. Mr Omar said that the defeat of the censure motion was a political vote.
Dr Lumumba called on Kenya’s political leadership to act on those suspected of engaging in corruption.
