I will expose beneficiaries of Eurobond billions, says CORD leader Raila Odinga

CORD leader Raila Odinga with ODM member Charles Tanui during a delegates’ meeting at Poa Place Hotel in Eldoret, yesterday. He later toured Soi. [PHOTO: PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD]

CORD leader Raila Odinga has promised to name individuals who benefited from the Sh140 billion Eurobond.

Raila, who has demanded that the government accounts for the billions, said the individuals who benefited from the funds were known and they will be exposed.

“Those claiming that I am lying will get to know the truth from next week, we know the individuals who stole the Eurobond money and where they kept it,” he said.

Addressing residents in Eldoret town yesterday the CORD leader said that the disappearance of the Eurobond money was the biggest scandal that the country has witnessed and regretted that the funds may not be recovered.

“People must take responsibility for how they are using public funds. Jubilee has now resorted to over taxing Kenyans who cannot buy food. While Kenyans cannot find money for basic needs, others are using public cash as pillows,” he said.

He added: “The grand projects initiated by Jubilee are marred with corrupt deals that are diverting billions of shillings into individuals’ pockets yet they cannot pay the teachers.”

He alleged that the Eurobond funds were never invested in the country as the government cannot single out any project that was implemented using the same.

He hit out at the Jubilee government for allegedly abetting tax evasion for the rich to facilitate harambees at the expense of mwananchi.

The CORD leader claimed that those who evade tax donate huge amounts of money to some leaders in government who in turn splash it in harambees.

Misplaced priorities

“Kenya has sufficient resources to sustain growth but business moguls who should contribute revenue are diverting significant amounts to leaders in the government. Some leaders are spending over Sh50 million in harambees per month and we know their salaries cannot sustain this expenditure,” he said.

Raila also said it is unacceptable for few individuals to own large parcels of land grabbed from the public, yet many citizens have remained squatters in their own country more than 50 years after independence.

The former Prime Minister who received memoranda from farmers and residents in the North Rift after a series of consultative meetings in Uasin Gishu, said poor leadership, policies and misplaced priorities have paralysed key economic sectors that would empower Kenyans.

He blamed farmers’ woes in the tea, coffee, sugarcane, wheat, maize and dairy sectors on lack of commitment from the government to address their plight.

“The exhaustion of Sh7 billion in the Galana-Kulalu irrigation project is wastage of taxpayers’ money. Instead of getting 40 bags per acre they are getting 10 bags. If this money would be used to subsidise farm input for farmer in North Rift where maize naturally grows we would get value for our money,” Raila explained.

He also accused milk processors of exploiting farmers by offering prices as low as Sh19 per litre of milk, yet the processed commodity retails at more than Sh50. The CORD leader called on the Jubilee leaders to revert the ownership of the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries to farmers.

He questioned the disparity between tea prices in Eastern and Western Kenya with the former getting Sh38 per kilo and the latter Sh19 for the same quantity. Kasipul Kabondo MP Silvance Osele promised to raise the issues outlined in Parliament.