Raila Odinga wants Anne Waiguru sent home in war on graft

Cord leader Raila Odinga on Monday declared his readiness to support the Jubilee administration in its fight against corruption if it suspends Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru and repossesses the title of a four-star city hotel.

Mr Odinga’s challenge came as Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary-General Francis Atwoli asked Cord leaders to stop sending contradictory statements on the war on corruption.

In a statement, Mr Odinga accused President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, of failing to fight corruption. He described their pledges to fight the vice as a ploy to gain political support in the last elections.

“It is now clear that Jubilee’s promises were mere words meant to excite a public desperate for a permanent solution to the one vice that has ruined their nation and their lives since independence,” he said.

Mr Odinga, who is also the ODM leader, claimed that people who were driving corruption to the extreme were close to President Kenyatta and his deputy. This, he argued, made it impossible to tell whether the two were either involved or not.

“We maintain that corruption now swirls around the President and his deputy,” he said.

This comes a day after Mr Ruto took on Mr Odinga, accusing him of running a scheme to discredit the Jubilee administration. The DP, however, vowed that the government would not be stopped from implementing its agenda by people “who see nothing good in their motherland”.

BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT

On Monday, Mr Odinga said he was ready to support the Jubilee administration in its war on corruption if it suspends Ms Waiguru and orders investigations into an alleged attempt to steal Sh826 million from the National Youth Service.

“Raila is willing to give the President and his deputy the benefit of the doubt, and is ready to absolve them of blame if they suspend Ms Anne Waiguru and order investigations into the attempted theft of funds from NYS,” said the Cord leader.

Ms Waiguru has denied the accusations, saying she was the one who invited the police to investigate a plot to siphon Sh826 million from the NYS.

Mr Odinga also said: “Return the title deed for the land on which Weston Hotel stands to the public. Demolish all the structures erected on the plot and initiate the prosecution of the owners of this property.”

The hotel is associated with Mr Ruto, who has admitted owning shares in the company that runs it. He has, however, maintained that it was not built on public land.

The remarks drew the ire of National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, who accused Mr Raila of defending alleged theft of funds meant for the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme.

The ODM leader, he said, was fighting to remain relevant in national politics.

“Mr Odinga should stop boxing the wind. To show that Mr Odinga’s remarks are based on rumour, today (Monday), his former constituents have taken to the streets to denounce him and support the work NYS is doing under CS Waiguru’s watch,” he said.