Tempers over MPs’ bribe claim

Tempers flared at a House committee meeting Tuesday as MPs argued over claims that some members were bribed Sh60 million to doctor a report on Mumias Sugar.

Agriculture Committee member, Mt Elgon MP John Serut and Mr Benjamin Washiali (Mumias East, UDF) almost exchanged blows.

Mr Washiali told his colleague to substantiate allegations that 22 committee members had been bribed.

Mr Washiali and Lugari MP Ayub Savula insisted that Sh4 million was deposited in the personal bank account of the committee’s chairman, Mr Mohammed Noor at Equity Bank.

“The money resulted in the alteration of the final report, which we are not happy about,” said Mr Washiali.

Mr Noor (Mandera North, URP) challenged Mr Washiali to say who deposited the money, when and for what purpose.

Mr Savula and Mr Washiali alleged that names of people alleged to have brought down Mumias Sugar had been removed from the final report.
The MPs accused the chairman of delaying the report for more than eight months, to provide an opportunity to doctor the report.

However, Mr Noor said it was the same members who had reached a consensus that the report be delayed to incorporate the views of a report by accounting firm KPMG, and another one by the Kenya Revenue Authority.

FORMER MANAGERS OF MUMIAS

Seven committee members refused to sign the final report, saying 22 of their colleagues had been compromised to “mutilate” the report, and remove the names of former managers of Mumias who had been mentioned in connection with bringing down the factory.

Committee Vice-Chairman Kareke Mbiuki challenged Mr Washiali to explain how the money came to be shared out by the members so as to alter the report, saying if he could not do so, he was obliged to apologise to his colleagues.

Asked why he had not included names of culprits in the sugar crisis, also contained in the KPMG report into the final draft, Mr Noor said the forensic report, which had also been dismissed by Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei, was a draft report, whose contents had no legal basis.

“We also called 18 witnesses and none of them presented the names that also appear in the KPMG report. On what basis could we then include them?” he asked.

He said the matter was still open to the House and that the plenary would decide whether to adopt the report with the names or not.

Mr Serut told Mr Noor to come clean on the Sh4 million, reminding him that he had ordered him thrown out while on a retreat in Mombasa for bringin up the matter.

There were nasty exchanges between Mr Washiali and Mr Serut as corruption allegations threatened to tear the team apart:

Mr Serut: Stop getting excited over nothing, bure kabisa wewe (you are useless).

Mr Washiali: This is not the only place we can be heard. We can leave this committee and get heard elsewhere.

Other MPs: Chair, please give him (Mr Washiali) the mic so that he can substantiate because he wants to run away.
Mr Serut: Shut-up!

Mr Washiali: You are only an old man. It is only that my hand is injured otherwise you could be on the ground right now. There is nothing you can do to me.

Mr Serut: Is this personal? (He tries to rise up).
Chairman Noor, however, calmed members before they could degenerate into an exchange of blows and lead to chaos.