Name Anglo-Leasing architects, says ODM

An opposition party on Sunday asked the government to unmask those behind firms linked to the controversial Anglo-Leasing contracts.

ODM interim party leader Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o said it would be a mockery for a regime to get its National Assembly to debate the possibility of paying huge sums of money to faceless companies.

“We also expect Jubilee to tell us who the people behind the companies are,” said Prof Nyong’o in a statement.

“If this is not done, then clearly the Jubilee leaders will be telling Kenyans that they care only about themselves, and will not tire themselves for the public interest. Even worse, it will pass the message that Jubilee also has a vested interest in making the Anglo-Leasing payments,” he went on.

He said ever since the scandal broke out, Kenyans had been expecting the government to rise up against the outrageous demands for payment by the shadowy companies.

“For long, Kenyans believed the government was succeeding in this endeavour particularly after the country was informed the said companies had returned the monies paid,” he said.

The Kisumu Senator said Kenyans wanted to see the government tackle the issue with the same zeal it is using to fight the ICC cases.

“We want to see a similar retinue of foreign lawyers battling it out at every court, the entire diplomatic service making presentations, and the Jubilee leadership courting every available political leader in Africa and around the world, to save the poor Kenyan from having to pay for this theft,” he said.

Deputy President William Ruto at the weekend said while the government had no intention of settling Sh1.4 billion Anglo leasing claims that arose from unhonoured contracts signed in 2002, parliament will give a direction on the way forward.

He said Sunday, Prof Nyong’o said; “It has come as a shock that the Jubilee regime will pay the money if authorized by the Jubilee controlled Parliament, to one of the shadowy foreign companies. This payment will be based on demands made and awards given in foreign legal proceedings that no one ever told Kenyans about.”

He said Kenyans will not be happy if the payments are made because they believe that any government other than the one that conceived this scandal would do all in its power to stop ‘this outright theft of taxpayer’s money.’

The interim party leader said the time, effort and financial resources spent by the Jubilee regime against the International Criminal Court and the successes achieved by these initiatives, including forcing amendments to an international treaty have shown that it is possible to defeat Anglo-Leasing payment demands.

“Instead of employing similar efforts to save Kenyans as they have done to save themselves, the Jubilee leaders are now acting defenceless and pretending that they have no choice but to make the payment if the National Assembly so decides,” he said.