Muturi thwarts attempt to shield CSs in sugar scam

An attempt by some MPs to shield Cabinet Secretaries Henry Rotich (National Treasury) and Adan Mohamed (East African Community and Reginal Development) from taking personal responsibility in the importation of illegal and poisonous sugar flopped yesterday after National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi intervened.

Mr Muturi’s move saved the House from a potential showdown after Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati and his Makueni counterpart Dan Maanzo threatened to marshal MPs into civil disobedience.

HEAVY METALS

The two MPs’ arguments were based on claims that the CSs had been left off the hook in the contraband sugar investigations by the House committee on Agriculture and Livestock and that on Trade, Industry and Co-operatives.

Mr Arati and Mr Maanzo are members of the two committees, which held a joint investigation into the alleged presence of poisonous sugar in the country feared to be laced with heavy metals — mercury, copper and lead among others.

The committee members had recommended that Mr Rotich, Mr Mohamed and former Agriculture CS Willy Bett be held responsible for their actions that saw the flooding into the Kenyan market of the cheap and poisonous sugar.

MACHINATIONS

However, in the report presented to the House on Wednesday, this was doctored to have them investigated by the relevant investigative agencies to ascertain the circumstances under which they did what they are accused of.

“This was not what we discussed and approved on Wednesday morning. There are elements within the committee who watered down the recommendations to suit their own interests. But we will not take this lying down because we are talking about a matter that concerns the health of all Kenyans,” Mr Arati, who drew the attention of the media into the secret machinations, said.

The joint committee was co-chaired by Mandera South MP Adan Ali and Kieni’s Kanini Kega.

SHOCKED

Nevertheless, Mr Maanzo was blunt in his comments even as he called on the two chairmen to take personal responsibility.

“This is pure forgery. The buck stops with the two committee chairmen who led the probe. What we are saying is that the report must be amended or else Parliament stands to embarrass itself for passing a forged document that can successfully be challenged in court,” Mr Maanzo said.

However, Mr Kega denied doctoring the report. “I am as shocked as they are. They should ask the lawyer who drafted the report because I approved it immediately and tabled it in the House,” Mr Kega said.

Committee members Silas Tiren (Moiben), Cornelly Serem (Aldai), Johnson Naicca (Mumias West) and Machakos Woman Rep Joyce Kamene also faulted the scheme to water down the report.

AMENDMENTS

On Thursday, some of the disgruntled committee members took their complaints to Mr Muturi who assured them that the recommendations as contained in the original report would be inserted into the report before the House.

“I direct that the suggested amendments which I have approved be considered by this House,” Mr Muturi ruled and directed the House Business Committee (HBC), which he chairs, take over the matter and prioritise it for debate next week.

Mr Rotich is on the spot over the three suspicious Gazette notices he issued in the importation of duty-free sugar between May and December last year.

COMPROMISING

In the 4536 notice of between May 12 to August 31, 2017, Mr Rotich did not specify the quality and quantity of sugar to be imported despite his Agriculture colleague Mwangi Kiunjuri advising so.

The notice also permitted everyone, including those not licensed, to import the commodity, thereby compromising quality and standards.

As if this was not enough, the CS intervened and issued a Gazette notice to allow 14 companies that had imported outside the duty waiver period to have their consignments cleared by KRA without paying the import duty.

The 9801 notice had extended the duty waiver period from August 31 to December 31 but would later be amended by another issue of 10149, which reduced the December date to October 13.