Opposition leaders pile pressure on President Uhuru to resign over Sh5.3b scam

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama address a press conference on how Sh 5 Billion was stolen in the Ministry of Health Via IFMIS by top Jubilee operatives 29/10/2016. Photo by WILLIS AWANDU

Yesterday, opposition leaders Raila Odinga (ODM), Musalia Mudavadi (ANC), Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma Senator), Johnstone Muthama (Machakos Senator), and three lawmakers repeated calls for President Kenyatta to resign on the grounds that he had failed to contain graft.

The pressure mounted as directors of companies mentioned in the ministry’s internal audit report reached out to the local media to defend their businesses against claims of wrong doing. (See separate story)

Speaking at the burial of Clara Kibukosya, grandmother of Raila Odinga Junior’s wife, Yvonne, the former Premier argued that there was no point for the President to stay in office, and said mega corruption scandals were now threatening to plunge the country into a crisis.

“The President knows those behind theft of funds at the Ministry of Health; he should leave office and let those capable of running government take over,” he said. Odinga made the claims against President Kenyatta who is currently away in Sudan for a two-day state visit on bilateral trade.

Odinga said corruption remains the biggest threat to Kenya’s stability and added that the theft  of funds for the sick was a new  low for the country.

“They have now started stealing money meant to purchase medicine and improve the health sector at the expense of Kenyans,” said Odinga.

The former Prime Minister also made fresh claims of what he described as a scandal at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KBS).

Duplicate functions

Speaking at the burial of Mama Joyce Aol in Ugenya constituency, Siaya county, Odinga said the government had contracted a Swiss company to duplicate duties of KBS and the Kenya Anti-Counterfeit Agency. Odinga claimed the company has been receiving Sh4.5 billion every month.

As he spoke Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama, a member of the CORD’s management committee, said the official opposition coalition would hold a series of street demonstrations over corruption. However, Muthama did not say when the street protests would be held.

“Mark my words, where we are now, we have no one to defend or protect us. But we are not going to give notice to the government to rectify their misdeeds. Very soon we will be on the streets and it will not be business as usual,” said Muthama at a press conference in his office in Nairobi.

Speaking in Kakemer village of Teso North Constituency, Busia County yesterday, Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi claimed the rot in the ministry was so deep that county governments were unable to deliver efficient health services to Kenyans.

“This confirms why the government does not want to release money to devolved units like health,’’ said Mudavadi who also made claims of another scandal.

The ANC leader said a probe on the cash transfer programme would expose a rip-off that would make the NYS and Ministry of Health scandals look like child’s play.

Mudavadi claimed that the billions of shillings allocated to the elderly, orphans and vulnerable children and people living with disabilities were not reaching all the registered recipients.

“All the way from Kwale and in Kilifi, I have heard complaints by the elderly that they are not receiving their monthly stipend. Instead fictitious names have been registered clandestinely and used to pocket money by corrupt officials,” said Mudavadi.

Kakamega Senator Dr Boni Khalwale weighed in on the corruption claims and accused of the President of allowing those in the inner sanctum of power and those in his social circles to steal public funds.

He said the Auditor General’s reports have provided sufficient evidence of graft. Kakmega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya (Kakamega) said corruption at the Ministry had had affected the quality of medical services in his county.

“We have complained about laxity on the part of the national government to release health funds to the devolved units only to discover that the billions of shillings we were asking for have been stolen,” said Mr Oparanya, who added that his county was yet to receive Sh300 million from the national government for the health sector.

“They owe us hundreds of millions of shillings but efforts to have the money released have hit a brick wall,” said the Governor.

Nominated MP Oburu Odinga and Ndhiwa MP Augostino Neto said the country needs a leader who can deal with corruption.

“We have a similar scandal at the Kenya Revenue Authority currently under probe by the Parliamentary Investment Committee where I am a member,” said Oburu.

- Reports by Jacob Ngetich, Grace Wekesa and John Shilitsa