Amani National Congress (ANC) party leader Musalia Mudavadi has urged the government to cease politicking on the March 9, 2018 handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga and instead focus on the war against graft.
Speaking in Nakuru on Sunday, Mudavadi said time for empty rhetoric is over and the government should act on the latest graft claims touching on its top officers.
“The government appears want to make us accept these scandals as normal provided that there is a rhetoric about them, we demand that we must now begin seeing handcuffs,” said Musalia.
“The country wakes up every morning to news of a new scandal. Each of these scandals runs into billions of shillings.”
The ANC boss put the government on the spot over the recent claims that it awarded tenders to an already bankrupt Italian firm, CMC di Rivanna.
“Because it was already broke, this company has now filed for creditors’ protection in Italian Court. This is to say that it has admitted that it is insolvent and bankrupt. It has no financial capacity to honour any of its commitments and obligations,” he said.
The tenders, as alleged by Mudavadi, are: Itare Dam Water Supply Project in Nakuru County (Ksh. 40 billion), Kimwarer Multi-Purpose Dam Project in Elgeyo-Marakwet County (Ksh.28 billion), Arror Multi-Purpose Dam Project in Elgeyo-Marakwet County (Ksh.38 billion.)
He called on the Italian Embassy to come clean on the matter, further questioning their complicity.
“State agencies – led by the Presidency must act now. The Auditor General must conduct a special audit on the three projects and any others awarded to the bankrupt company,” he added.
Mudavadi, further, urged the office of the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) to take up the matter and arrest those involved.
“The DCI and EACC must also weigh in. We want to see handcuffs and not be told about handshakes.”
The former deputy premier’s sentiments come days after CMC Ravenna, an Italian firm accused of bribing three cabinet secretaries, was alleged to have left three mega project sites after pocketing a whooping Sh15 deposit.
The company, which has been declared bankrupt at home in Italy, is said to have abandoned the hydro-power and drinking water projects in Nakuru and Elgeyo Marakwet counties.
The Standard reported that only Itare Dam in Kuresoi, Nakuru has seen some progress on the contract signed.
Read:Broke Italian Firm Vanishes With Ksh15 Billion Down Payment As Projects Stall
Part of company officials are now reported to have traveled out of country to address a financial crisis facing the company with little information on when they are set to be back.
Reports reveal that only front office staff have been retained at the firm’s Nairobi offices while the other three site offices remain abandoned.
With the company facing financial constraints and having pocketed a good share of the monies set aside for the projects, It’s reported that there is a possibility that the projects could be re-awarded, thus, forcing the tax payers to dig deep into their pockets.
At least three Cabinet secretaries are under investigation for receiving kickbacks from contractors engaged in mega projects in the country.
CS Rotich is among state officials who have been questioned in relations to the Ksh15 billion which forms part of the Ksh65 billion stalled dam projects.
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