Muthama wants Mutua to face EACC over corruption claims

MACHAKOS, KENYA: Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has called on Governor Alfred Mutua to honour summons for him to appear before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Speaking at Parliament buildings, Muthama said that he wrote a letter to the ethics and anti-corruption commission on November 1, 2013 long before the clamor for National dialogue had started.

He was responding to allegations by his Governor that he is inciting the residents against the development projects initiated in the area.

"I wrote the letter after several residents complained to me as their representative about the illegalities taking place within the county government of Machakos," Muthama said.

He said the Auditor General report released in February this year confirmed the same allegations as raised in his letter to the ethics and anti-corruption commission.

The senator slammed governor Mutua for casting aspersions on Independent constitutional institution of ethics and the Auditor General for not doing their job as per the constitution.
Flanked by Matungulu MP Stephen Mule, the leaders said the governor should appear before the relevant offices to clear his name 'if he is as clean as he purports.'

He should give a chance to the due process of the law, said Mule.
Mule added: “Politicization of matter is not only unfortunate but also a diversionary tactic from real issues of corruption in the county government of Machakos."

The two leaders refuted the development projects of their governor and claimed that the Members of the County assembly had failed to check the Executive.

"If they cannot question how the county finances to a tune of over 6 Billion are used that is why we moved to the EACC," Said Muthama.

Senator Muthama queried how a road that had been evaluated to cost Over Sh 1.6 Billion to construct could cost about Sh 600 Million. He claimed the 33 Kilometer road recently launched by Mutua does not have value for money.

"You can tour and see pot holes all over. Mutua purchased second hand vehicles for the speaker of the county assembly, bought used laptops and second hand vehicles for police from China.”

He claims to have bought 7 tractors that we have not to date seen and gave farmers seeds that never germinated. There are Over 125 issues the governor needs to clear his name from," Said Muthama.