Marende gags MPs on corruption claims

House Speaker Kenneth Marende has silenced MPs regarding blowing the whistle on alleged corruption on the part of their colleagues.

Instead, Mr Marende has asked the lawmakers to discreetly pass the information they have, regarding bribery and extortion, to the police and to his office for "action".

He told MPs that they were on their own when it came to criminal conduct and that they will have to carry their own cross if caught with their hands in the till.

“As the Speaker of the National Assembly, I do not, and I shall not condone the use of this House or the membership in it for purposes of, or as avenues for corruption or other criminal conduct. No privileges of Parliament shield any person from criminal prosecution for corruption or extortion,” he added.

Mr Marende went ahead to order that the allegations of extortion against Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito), levelled on the floor of the House by assistant minister Oburu Oginga, should be expunged from the official records of the House.

“All these allegations (should) be expunged from the records of the House because they are unlawful,” Mr Marende told MPs, saying that House rules do not allow an MP to impute improper motive on his colleagues.

“The House should not degenerate into an arena for name-calling and accusations and counter-accusations.”

But as he issued the gag orders, fresh allegations of mass bribery emerged in the House, with Martha Karua (Gichugu) laying credence to the allegations that MPs were paid to defeat the amendments to cap interest rates.

“I have been told by at least two MPs that those MPs allied to PNU were being paid at Panafric (Hotel) while those of ODM were paid at the Gazebo. Please (Mr Speaker) let us not be gagged,” said Ms Karua.

The remark drew a smile from the Speaker, but he did not order it expunged despite protests by assistant minister Peter Munya. Mr Munya said he was at Panafric “but did not get any cent”.

“It is extremely unfair for us to make generalised accusations. I was at Panafric and I was not paid a cent. I don’t take this kindly at all. This is not how to win votes,” said Mr Munya alluding to Ms Karua’s presidential bid.

Millie Odhiambo (nominated) also stood in the House and warned her colleagues that she had “facts” which she was willing to spill if push came to shove. It is Ms Odhiambo who alluded to MPs being taken out for lunch that was worth Sh50,000 ahead of approval of the Finance Bill, in which the amendments to cap interest rates had been proposed.

The Speaker’s orders came as Mr Kiema said that Dr Oginga’s assertions -- that he had extorted Sh300,000 from Mastermind Tobacco firm—had “injured him”.

“I am a family man, I am a Christian, I am a public official (but since that allegation was made) anywhere I walk, people look at me with a lot of suspicion as that member who went to Mastermind and attempted to extort,” Mr Kiema said in Parliament.

“If indeed it is proven to me that I was involved in any form of extortion, I am ready and will be willing to tender my resignation as an MP,” said the Mutito MP.

The Speaker rejected attempts to push Dr Oginga to “substantiate” the extortion claim. The Speaker said doing so, will amount to discussing the conduct of an MP without a substantive motion in the House. Dr Oginga had said that he was ready to table a sworn affidavit proving his allegations against the Mutito MP.

The Speaker’s gag orders also attracted the support of Finance minister Robinson Githae who sought to know what action would be taken against those lawmakers who tell all, to the public, about the bribery and extortion among MPs.

“Every time there is a hot issue in this Parliament, an MP goes to the media and says that money has changed hands in this House. That tarnishes the names of the MPs,” said Mr Githae.

The Speaker agreed:  “…the respect accorded to this House and to its members is predicated on our conducting ourselves with the highest standards of integrity, honour and decorum. If these are absent, we lose the moral ground to continue to be members of this House and to represent the people.”

Mr Marende said that the powers and privileges committee –the statutory team of MPs which he chairs and that disciplines MPs—was discussing the sanctions to be imposed on those MPs who’ve made statements outside the House, disparaging their colleagues, or imputing malfeasance on their conduct.

Mr Marende's push for the deletion of allegations of malfeasance from House records, did not augur well with William Kabogo (Juja) whose name was mentioned alongside those of Kilome MP Harun Mwau and Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi linking them to drug-trafficking.

He sought to know if the Speaker could also expunge the allegations and subsequent clearance made against him and the rest of the MPs, because, they had cast aspersions on MPs and the dignity of the House.

The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Boni Khalwale (Ikolomani), also asked that Prime Minister Raila Odinga be disciplined for saying that MPs were using the committees to push their own agenda.

“It is not enough for you to protect us,” said Dr Khalwale as he called for the PM to be sanctioned.

Mr Marende promised to make a ruling on Mr Kabogo’s case and also how to treat the PM’s sentiments. That said, he added, again, that all crimes of bribery and extortion should be reported to the police and the Speaker’s Office.