Kenyans may never know truth about Eurobond money

CORD leader Raila Odinga (right) addresses journalist and EACC detectives at his Capitol office in Nairobi on December 10, 2015. The detectives summoned Mr Odinga to appear before the EACC over the Eurobond affair. PHOTO | JAMES EKWAM | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In their Jamhuri Day speeches on Saturday, President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto called the opposition leader “economic saboteur.”

  • Though the two political sides agree that the affair has been politicised, no one seems ready to take the blame.

Politicians have found a new opportunity in the Eurobond affair to score political points.

Instead of addressing the accountability questions surrounding the projects that the Eurobond proceeds funded, the debate has been styled as a Cord versus Jubilee, or more specifically a Raila Odinga against President Uhuru Kenyatta contest.

“It is a common feeling among many people but which is very unfortunate because the public is not getting what the issue is. In the end, the taxpayer may end up losing a lot of money,” economist Dr Samuel Nyandemo said.

POLITICISATION OF EUROBOND AFFAIR

Perhaps the height of the politicisation of the Eurobond affair was last week when detectives attached to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) went to Mr Odinga’s offices at Capitol Hill Centre in Nairobi around 3pm to serve the Opposition leader with the summons to appear before it.

What ensued was the commission officials blocking the gate to prevent Mr Odinga from leaving his office. Mr Odinga later left the place on foot to Nairobi Club.

Days before the Capitol Hill standoff, Jubilee MPs had hit out at Mr Odinga, claiming the former PM’s alleging corruption in the spending of the Eurobond billions was a case of sour grapes after the sovereign bond money failed to trickle down to pet projects fronted by Mr Odinga during his time as prime minister.

Similarly, in their Jamhuri Day speeches on Saturday, President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto called the opposition leader “economic saboteur.”

Though the two political sides agree that the affair has been politicised, no one seems ready to take the blame.

“The fight against corruption arose when Jubilee MPs responded to allegations made by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga. Jubilee is not interested in this contest but all they are asking for that as a complainant he should record his complaints with the constitutional institutions not through political rallies,” said Ainabkoi MP Samuel Chepkonga (URP), who chairs the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

POLITICAL GOALS

According to Mr Chepkonga, Cord wants to score some political goals by disregarding constitutional institutions.

“Let nobody create a circus. You can’t play politics with the economy especially if you are also having ambitions of a higher State office. What we are asking the former PM is to honour the summons and if he does not EACC we expect the EACC to apply the law as required,” said Mr Chepkonga.

But Suna MP Junet Mohamed (ODM) defended the Cord leader from the allegations of playing politics.

“The issue is being politicised unnecessarily and hopelessly by our colleagues in Jubilee who want to misuse constitutional commissions to achieve certain political goals. Cord is simply asking for the National Treasury to explain how the money was spent,” he said.

According to Mr Mohamed, asking for Mr Odinga’s arrest is taking the joke too far.

“It will not help the matter at hand and it will not take the country anywhere,” he said.

For Dr Nyandemo, instead of engaging in a political bickering, the National Treasury should come forward and explain what projects the money funded.

“People are becoming skeptical of how the government is responding to Raila. Let the National Treasury give a list of tangible projects it did with the money instead of leaving it as Uhuru-Raila duel,” he said.