Khalwale claims MPs were bribed to 'kill report'

The chairman of a powerful watchdog committee Boni Khalwale has blamed "politics, tribalism, corruption and impunity" as the reasons behind Parliament’s rejection of a report on the controversial money-printing contract involving De La Rue September 5, 2012

What you need to know:

  • Dr Boni Khalwale accuses his fellow MPs of having been “bribed with Sh30,000" to “kill the report”.
  • The report, which Parliament rejected on Tuesday, had recommended that Transport minister Amos Kimunya and Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u be declared unfit to hold public office.

The chairman of a powerful watchdog committee has blamed "politics, tribalism, corruption and impunity" as the reasons behind Parliament’s rejection of a report on the controversial money-printing contract involving De La Rue.

Dr Boni Khalwale (Ikolomani), in a bare-all interview with journalists at Parliament buildings, accused his fellow MPs of having been “bribed with Sh30,000" to “kill the report”.

Dr Khalwale, the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, mentioned names of a high-ranking ODM MP who, he claimed, dished out the money to the party’s members in his office within Parliament buildings.

Calls to the MP to get his response on the claims failed as his phone was switched off.

Dish out cash

The PAC chairman also mentioned another first-time MP from Central Kenya, as having been instrumental in dishing out cash to MPs. The MP reportedly gave those who yielded to his advances Sh20,000. He too couldn’t be reached for comment.

“There was a lot of bribery. They first came with Sh10 million to Mombasa when we were writing the report. I refused! Then, they sent an MP (name omitted) with Sh1 million for all of us. We refused! So, they decided that they can just pay the MPs to reject the report,” said Dr Khalwale.

The MP who’d been sent to Mombasa was an ODM MP from Nyanza region.

“We know, and the Auditor General has confirmed, that Sh1.8 billion was lost. So, even if those behind the scam just took Sh200 million to pay the the MPs, they’d still have Sh1.6 billion of the loot left in their pockets… but they were giving Sh20,000 to Sh30,000 MPs… I tell you people, MPs are broke! Look at the kind of money that buys their souls, to sell your country,” the PAC chairman told journalists.

The corridors of Parliament are rife with talk of corruption and bribery to have MPs vote one way or another, and to even file questions on issues, but because of the clandestine nature of the bribery process, it is difficult to prove the allegations.

“I can repeat these anywhere! In the House, out here, and all over!” said the Ikolomani MP.

Mudavadi close ally

On politics, the MP said that ODM had marshalled its troops in the House to ensure they throw out the report, just because Dr Khalwale was a close ally of their estranged former deputy party leader, Musalia Mudavadi.

“They (ODM) know Central Kenya is in Mr Mudavadi’s corner, when it comes to the votes. The only way they could warm into the hearts of the elite from that region, was by saving their blue-eyed boys (Kimunya and Ndung’u) from parliamentary censure, and on this, they succeeded. What could I do? But Kenyans know the truth,” said Dr Khalwale.

The MP said the choice of Ms Rachel Shebesh to dilute the report of the PAC by having all the adverse mentions of Mr Kimunya and Prof Ndung’u deleted; and that of Public Service minister Dalmas Otieno to trash the report, where evidence that there were behind-the-scenes machinations to “humiliate” him and the committee.

“The man who presided over the debate, Prof Philip Kaloki, is a member of the Finance Committee which failed to prosecute this matter on De La Rue because we hear, there was a lot of money that made them drop the investigation,” said Dr Khalwale.

“You could see that he found it difficult to let members of the PAC to contribute. He only picked (Charles) Onyancha, (Bonchari), because he doesn’t know he sits in the committee. You saw how he rejected picking Dr (Abdi) Nuh (of Bura) until I had to donate my minutes to him?” the PAC chairman charged.

As for impunity, he picked on Ms Amina Abdalla (nominated) whom he said did not have any “political or tribal reason” to water-down the report “other than blatant support for impunity”.

Ms Abdalla had said that while Mr Kimunya was “her friend”, it was his people skills that made him a target.

But John Mbadi (Gwassi) of ODM, said that aside from the allegations of corruption, the PAC report was “poorly drafted” to withstand scrutiny of the House.

“Of course the government lobbied and mobilised MPs to have the report rejected. But that report was a poor job! You cannot say that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission should investigate Mr Kimunya and Prof Ndung’u, and then go ahead and say that they should not hold public office,” said Mr Mbadi.

“There was also politics. I do not know who (Rachel Shebesh) was talking for (sic) when she made the remarks, but, you cannot rule out politics,” said Mr Mbadi.