MPs want colleagues who raised bribery allegations punished

National Assembly Powers and Privileges Committee Chairman Justin Muturi(C) consult his committee members Peter Mwathi(L) and Vincent Tuwei after the committee meeting on the bribery allegations at Parliament on Tuesday 25/09/18. [Boniface Okendo,Standard]

MPs have rejected an attempt to invite investigators to Parliament to probe bribery claims against members who voted to kill a report on bad sugar.

Instead, they are seeking to punish colleagues who raised the alarm over bribery claims, by having them investigated.

They have called on the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to put the MPs to task to substantiate their claims. 

The National Assembly now wants detectives to narrow down on the whistle-blowers - the 10 lawmakers who claimed their colleagues were bribed to shoot down the sugar report.

Today, the House adopted the Powers and Privileges Committee report that recommended investigations over claims MPs were bribed to shoot down the report on the contraband sugar.

The House, however, amended the report so that the DCI and EACC only investigate members who made the claims.

The lawmakers said it was a shame that some of their colleagues made claims of bribery but could not substantiate them when they appeared before the committee chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi.

Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart John Mbadi demanded that their colleagues be punished for degrading the House with unsubstantiated allegations.

This turns focus on MPs Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), James Onyango K’Oyoo (Muhoroni), Godfrey Osotsi (nominated), Jayne Kihara (Naivasha), Geoffrey Odanga (Matayos) and Simba Arati (Dagoretti North). Others are Samuel Atandi (Alego Usongo), Makhokha Murunga (Matungu) Wamuchomba Gathoni (Kiambu) and Ayub Savula (Lugari).

They sensationally claimed their colleagues were bribed to defeat the report by a joint committee that inquired into importation of alleged illegal and contaminated sugar into the country.