Graft allegations dominate MPs probe on water scandal

Parliament’s probe into the multi-billion scandal in the Water Ministry was turned into an arena of corruption and bias allegations Tuesday.

In a stormy meeting at Nairobi’s Continental House, Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito was alleged to having attempted to influence the chairman of the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation not to spill the beans regarding the scandal in the corporation.

Mr Kizito who was in the meeting refuted the claims, but Mr Kiunjuri stuck to his guns: “The only way I can substantiate is to table the chairman here."

The Lands and Natural Resources Committee will have to unearth the details of Mr Kizito’s talk with the corporation’s board chairman Geoffrey Mang’uriu to clear any doubts of arm-twisting of witnesses..

Public Works assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri rattled the committee members as he insisted that another MP --whom he did not name despite a push from the committee to name the legislator—had approached him saying “money was flowing into the committee”.

The MPs in the meeting Silas Ruteere (Imenti North) and Mr Benedict Gunda (Bahari) said they were angry that Mr Kiunjuri had labeled the committee “corrupt”, yet they were not.

Mr Kiunjuri dared the committee that he won’t be intimidated and said that he’ll keep on making the allegations, fully knowing that he was in breach of the Standing Orders. He threatened the committee that he was going to write to the powerful Powers and Privileges Committee asking it to investigate the claims of bribery among the committee members.

Mr Kiunjuri also raised the issue of bias in the committee’s focus at the gross anomalies in the construction of Umaa Dam in Kitui County.

The committee had to repeatedly tell the assistant minister that they’ve gone through all dams and it is at Umaa Dam, which seems to be licking funds from the government without matching progress on the ground.

Mr Kiunjuri, a former assistant Water minister, who blew the whistle on massive irregularities in procurement at the Ministry, set the tone of the meeting when he accused the committee chairman Mr Mutava Musyimi of being a director in a company, in which a relative of beleaguered Water Minister Charity Ngilu, also sits.

Mr Musyimi said he had since resigned from the company and sold his shares after Mr Kiunjuri raised the matter –to free him from conflict of interest.

The assistant minister charged that the committee had handled some of the witnesses “with kid gloves while others were handled with iron fists".

He appeared to slight the MPs’ knowledge of the Standing Orders and experience in committee business telling them that he’s been in Parliament for over 14 years and that he knew all the rules.

“I cannot be harassed; I cannot be intimidated. I have been in this game for 14 years,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

Mr Musyimi had to step in and issue a stern warning to the minister to watch his tongue because he was “making it extremely difficult” for the committee to continue listening to him.

“You started by telling lies about the chairman, we cannot let you to go on,” said Mr Musyimi who later withdrew the word “lies” and replaced it with “terminological inexactitude”. Parliament’s rules don’t allow the word “lies” in its records.

But Mr Kiunjuri said that the committee had “peddled rumours” about a Sh1 million donation to his GNU party by Ms Mungai, and so “rumours have to be met with rumours”.

Mr Kiunjuri appeared piqued by the committee’s finding that he was a golfing buddy of the chairman and a director of the NWC and PC, and also played golf with a partner in the contracting firm that had sought Sh652 million top-up in the construction of Umaa Dam.

He went ahead to tell the committee that the three –the chairman of NWC&PC Mr Mang’uriu, the director Stanley Gikandi, and a key shareholder in the firm that won the Umaa Dam construction contract, Ms Mary Mungai, were “his friends for over 10 years”.

“They are my friends and they’ll not cease being my friends just because they work at the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation. I am not ashamed of my friends. If they’re caught, I’ll say crucify them,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

“I’ve played golf for over five years.”

Mr Benjamin Washiali (Mumias, ODM) tabled evidence that Mr Kiunjuri met the three at Nairobi’s Railways Club on August 26 last year and four days later he was at Umaa Dam inspecting the works, without the permission or knowledge of his then boss, Water minister Charity Ngilu.

It is at this meeting at Umaa Dam that the contractor put in the Sh652 million variation and according to the minutes, Mr Kiunjuri supported the price variation.

Mr Washiali tabled the minutes, but Mr Kiunjuri said the minutes’ accuracy was in doubt given that the managing director of the corporation has in the past altered minutes.

Mr Kiunjuri denied that he was behind the contractor’s push for an additional Sh652 million on top of the Sh824 million allocated for the construction of Umaa Dam.

Mr Kiunjuri retorted: “As an assistant minister, I don’t have to wait for the directions of my minister to do my duty…I don’t need permission from my minister.”

The committee hearings continue.