Two members of Parliament have claimed that they were approached with bribes to shoot down the sugar report.
Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni wa Muchomba and Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara women narated how MPs were approached to reject the report of the joint committee on Trade and Agriculture.
Wa Muchomba yesterday claimed that some MPs were bribed in Parliament’s toilets while Kihara said some of her colleagues indeed received the cash before the report was tabled.
According to Wamuchomba, “They were telling us that money is not our mother’s [sic] and that we were being too arrogant. They went to the toilets and corridors to dish out money.”
According to Kihara one MP from Nakuru county approached her and informed her that the Jubilee party had decided to ‘kill’ the report.
She further added saying, “The MP told me that he had been sent by Majority leader Aden Duale to make sure that MPs from Nakuru county did not pass the motion and again said even Minority leader John Mbadi had instructed his colleagues to do the same.”
But in a quick rejoinder, Mbadi said he did not whip his members to reject the report.
In his response MP Mbadi said, “If these members who talk in funerals are serious and think it was a mistake for Parliament to reject the report, they should invoke Standing Order 49, requesting the speaker to allow them to reintroduce the report again and convince the House on its merit. The House can either pass or reject it.”
Kieni MP Kanini Kega who co-chaired the joint committee that authored the report blamed Speaker Justin Mututi, Duale and Mbadi for the rejection of the report.
He said Muturi denied members of his committee an opportunity to contribute during the stormy debate.
He further added saying, “All the 26 members of my committee appended their signatures to the document but it is unfortunate that when we came to the House, the speaker did not give opportunity to any of them to contribute. I read malice in this because all those people who were given the opportunity to speak were against it. It was done in a well-choreographed manner.”
He charged that the House leadership had a predetermined mind to thwart the report.
He further added saying, “I remember trying to indulge the Speaker to rein in the members led by the Majority leader who were consulting in high tones. I think I was wrong because they had already made up their minds. It was one of my lowest moments because I realized we were taken on a wild goose chase. They did not have the interests of cane farmers at heart and it was basically about business wars.’
Seven MPs including Mohammed Ali (Nyali), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Tindi Mwale (Butere), Innocent Obiri (Bobasi) and Alpha Miruka (Bomachoge Chache) want the report reconsidered for the protection of the House.
It is not clear how the quest by the MPs will be realised given that Standing Orders prohibit reintroduction of any matter that has been dispensed with.
According to the Standing Orders, “no motion can be moved which is the same in substance as any question which has been resolved during the preceding six months in the same session.”
The rules however give the Speaker power to permit a motion seeking to rescind the decision on such a question.
According to Barasa “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.”
Ali further added saying, “Action must be taken against all those who were bribed because they have given Parliament a bad name. If they are allowed to go scot-free, then Kenyans will conclude that we don’t have legislators in the House but ‘deal-makers’.”
Oluoch has already written to Muturi inquiring about the possibility of a fresh inquiry into the matter.
According to Oluoch, “I will wish to seek the speaker’s directions or ruling as to whether the Speaker on the request of a member or members can grant permission to waive the six months’ rule so as to allow fresh inquiry or debate.”
He further Barasa said he is ready to appear before any investigative body to expose the culprits.
He also added saying he said he is ready to testify against Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi who he claims led the bribery campaign to kill the sugar report.
On Sunday, Gedi admitted to lobbying members to defeat the sugar report but denied claims that she gave out money to her colleagues.
According to Barasa, Gedi was protecting East African Community CS Adan Mohammed who was indicted for failure to ensure compliance with standards in the importation of the allegedly contaminated sugar.
The report also sanctioned Treasury CS Henry Rotich and former Agriculture CS Willy Bett, now Kenya’s envoy to India.
Gedi said she had already written to the Speaker over Barasa’s accusations and demanded an apology. Yesterday, she confronted Barasa in the precincts of Parliament, causing a scene.
But Barasa was unrepentant. “I refuse to bow down. I stand by what is true. And this is the truth. Gedi captained the bribing of MPs to bring down that report that would have held two Cabinet secretaries responsible,” he said.