Murkomen won’t face MPs, says Gumbo

Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Mr Farouk Kibet and Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen have been asked to make written submissions to the National Assembly Public Accounts Committee.
  • A firm in which the senator is a partner — Sing’oei, Murkomen and Sigei Advocates — received Sh5 million from Out Of The Box Solutions Ltd, the company owned by former radio presenter Angela Angwenyi that was paid Sh90 million in a Sh302 million contract.

An aide to Deputy President William Ruto and his point man in the Rift Valley have been spared public questioning over the circumstances under which they received money from people accused of looting the National Youth Service.

Farouk Kibet, one of Mr Ruto’s personal assistants, and Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen have been asked to make written submissions to the National Assembly's Public Accounts Committee.

PAC chairman Nicholas Gumbo told the Nation he had spoken to Mr Murkomen as members of the team considered their options in getting a colleague to give his side of the story.

A firm in which the senator is a partner — Sing’oei, Murkomen and Sigei Advocates — received Sh5 million from Out Of The Box Solutions Ltd, the company owned by former radio presenter Angela Angwenyi that was paid Sh90 million in a Sh302 million contract.

“He has said the law firm was offering legal services so we have asked him to give us the explanation on what he was being paid for, then we will decide if to call them,” said Mr Gumbo.

MASTERMINDING THEFT

He added that the same would be required of Mr Kibet, who was shown to have been in constant communication with Ben Gethi — the man accused of masterminding the theft — and later received Sh1 million from him as a donation for a harambee.

“The senator called me and said he had no problem appearing before the team,” added Mr Gumbo.

Mr Murkomen has also said the firm was approached by Mr Gethi for representation when investigations started.

Standing orders require witnesses to be given seven days to either appear before committees or submit information, meaning the PAC would have to add a week to its schedule to give the pair time to respond.

This could scuttle its plans to finish and table the report on the scandal by the time Parliament takes a break at the beginning of December. MPs are scheduled to resume sittings on Tuesday afternoon until December 1.