Central Kenya MPs call on Uhuru to protect Waiguru from Opposition's 'political vendetta'

Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru [PHOTO/STANDARD]

Central Kenya MPs want President Uhuru Kenyatta to protect Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru from what they termed as disruptive and destructive political vendetta.

The MPs accused the Opposition of viewing Ms Waiguru as the biggest exemplification of a working government that they would wish to extinguish to embolden their chances in 2017.

The legislators claimed that the accusations against the CS and demands that she step aside is a continuation of a scheme to rid the Government of its best and most loyal workers and paint it as weak and unable to protect its best defenders.

They cited the humiliation or exit of 'loyal top performers' Michael Kamau (Transport CS), Francis Kimemia (Secretary to the Cabinet) and Mutea Iringo (PS Internal Security) as the culmination of the underhand tactics against technocrats from the President's backyard.

Gichugu MP Njogu Barua said the attempt to impeach Waiguru was part of a wider scheme of character assassination on the best Jubilee performers. "The NYS projects in Kibera and Kisumu slums is about changing the mindset of Kenyan youth and we know that those who feed the youths the message of hopelessness are scared about the potential damage to their political strongholds," said Barua.

"We also urge Kenyans to ignore the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy's (CORD) stooges because the Opposition does not have a mandate to implement development and has demonstrated it would really be happy if things came to a standstill," said Barua, adding: "I am urging the President and his Deputy William Ruto to stamp their authority and shield their front line soldiers from undue attack.''

Criminal activity

Former minister Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo) also blamed Waiguru's woes on CORD. Singling out the coalition's leader Raila Odinga, Kamau claimed the Opposition was keen to derail the National Youth Services (NYS) programme because of its potential to change the fortunes of youths who had in the past lost hope in life.

"The Opposition must be able to distinguish between corruption and the criminal activity by employees as happened in the case of the NYS saga," said Kamau.

Kamau added that Jubilee would be united in protecting the CS if the Opposition attempted to censure her in Parliament.

Meru Parliamentary Group Chairman Kathuri Murungi (South Imenti) and Tigania West's David Kareithi also attributed Waiguru's woes to politics.

"The transformation in CORD's strongholds of Kibera, Mathare and Kondele slums is enormous and is not being taken lightly by the Opposition," said Kathuri.

North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood said the unity of Jubilee will protect Waiguru from any harm as planned by the Opposition.

"Waiguru is a dedicated person who works with passion, which is lacking in those castigating her. We will support her if another motion comes up as we did in the past," said Dawood.

Mathioya's Clement Wambugu decried an emerging culture of negative politics targeting best performers. Wambugu claimed the uspended Transport CS was also a victim of political witch-hunt.

Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire and Mathira's Peter Weru also said the Opposition had no moral grounds to criticise Waiguru when the Kazi Kwa Vijana programme under its principals in the Grand Coalition government floundered badly.

"The main reason for sabotaging the NYS project is because she is succeeding where Kazi Kwa Vijana under Raila Odinga was a scandal tainted as non-starter," claimed Weru.

Mbarire termed the entire saga as a political witch-hunt orchestrated by the Opposition to malign the Jubilee government as a dirty and corruption-laden regime.

She said Waiguru was one of the best performing CSs and her activities in NYS were having an impact in Kibera and were being successfully rolled out in 163 other constituencies.

Done no wrong

"Waiguru has done no wrong because no money was lost. In fact, when she discovered the anomaly in the IFMIS, she stopped it and reported to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Did they expect her to report  to the public or to use the constitutionally provided channels?" She posed.

Mbarire urged President Kenyatta to be careful not fall into the trap of the Opposition to taint the names of best performing CSs so that by the time new ones are appointed, his administration would not have achieved much. She, however, called for thorough investigations and for action to be taken against any officer(s) found culpable.

Mwea MP Peter Gitau said Waiguru should be protected at all cost by the Government as "she is such an asset and agent of the much required positive change."

He said the torching of the projects undertaken in Kibera under Waiguru's watch were reason enough for CORD to start this new political gimmick.

Gitau said it was a pity some leaders were using their political might to make the vulnerable in the slums suffer.

"After torching the facilities that the Government had provided for use by the poor and the vulnerable, especially those with various disabilities, this group of Kenyans will remain suffering as those behind the heinous activities continue to live in comfort," he said.