Woman rep demands apology over sugar report bribery claims

An MP whose name has consistently been mentioned in the allegations of bribery that rocked the National Assembly on Thursday has denied the claims and threatened to take legal action against her colleague who mentioned her.

Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi has demanded an apology from Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa who claimed that she offered him Sh10,000 as inducement to reject the sugar probe report.

At a press conference Monday, Ms Gedi denied ever having bribed MPs to reject the report and demanded that Mr Barasa substantiates the claims.

APOLOGY

“I am demanding an apology from Mr Barasa or he should get prepared because this is not the end of the matter. I am offended by his accusation and I am demanding evidence of his claims,” Ms Gedi told journalists at Parliament, insisting that she cannot be used as a conduit for bribery.

“I last saw Mr Barasa 10 day ago and he is lying when he claims I approached him with money. I challenge him to explain to the country where I met him because as far as I know, I never met on that day,” she said.

Ms Gedi has since written to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi demanding an explanation from Mr Barasa whose conduct she described as unbecoming and warned that the matter “could go far” if her accuser does not substantiate his claims.

REPORT REJECTED

Last week, MPs voted overwhelmingly to reject the report of the joint committee on Trade and Investments, Agriculture and Livestock over the importation of sugar during last year’s duty free window.

The report had indicted National Treasury CS Henry Rotich, East African Community CS Adan Mohammed and Kenya high commissioner to India William Bett, who served as Agriculture CS during the period of the importation of the sugar.

But the vote was sullied by claims that the MPs’ decision was motivated by powerful forces who bribed them to reject the report.

SHODDY

During the Monday press briefing, Ms Gedi described the findings of the committee as shoddy and lacking credibility and vowed to mobilise members to reject the report should it be reintroduced.

“The report lacks credibility; it’s shoddy and there was no way I was going to fold my arms and allow this kind of a report to be adopted by the House,” she said.

She said the report did not reveal the identity of the sugar barons besides not shedding light on the question of safety of the sugar in the market.

“I mobilised members to reject the report, and for that, I have no apologies to make,” she said, noting that the report was not detailed on whether the sugar imported during the time was fit for human consumption.