MPs now want fresh probe as bribery claims rage

Lawyers Antony Oluoch (left), Celestine Opiyo leaving the Milimani Law Court. [Fidelis Kabunyi/Standard]

Some MPs now want investigations into contaminated sugar revisited through fresh inquiry or by re-tabling of the defeated report.

Mathare MP Antony Oluoch yesterday wrote to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi asking for a fresh inquiry into the sugar saga, citing the allegations of bribery that influenced the shooting down of the report by the joint Committee on Agriculture and Trade.

Mr Oluoch said the rejection of the report has not only occasioned loss of billions in tax evasion but also lost opportunity to hold State officers involved in the importation accountable for their act of omission and commission.

He wants the issue handled either through public petition directed separately to Finance Committee and Health Committee or a joint committee of the National Assembly and the Senate.

“In the light of the foregoing and aware that this is a matter of great public concern in which the House has been accused of receiving Sh10,000 to Sh30,000 to shoot down the report, this House, including the Speaker, owes it to the public to redeem its image by revisiting the issue,” said Oluoch.

But another group of MPs are pushing for the re-introduction of the controversial report for fresh debate.

Five legislators, led by Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), yesterday said the report was shot down by MPs after some of them were allegedly bribed and it should be brought back because of public interest.

“We believe all is not lost and, as a House, we can still revisit the joint committee report and suggest amendments to it. It will be very unfair to trash the report after spending millions of shillings to compile it,” said Barasa at a press briefing in Parliament.

He was accompanied by his fellow first term colleagues Mohamed Ali (Nyali), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Tindi Mwale (Butere), Innocent Obiri (Bobasi) and Alpha Miruka (Bomachoge Chache).