The National Government has embarked on a concerted and ill-informed effort to mislead the public on the issues in question at the Ministry of Devolution and Coordination of National Government and, in particular, the goings on at the National Youth Service.
The effort to mislead the public has now seen the President take up the role of speaking for the Central Bank of Kenya and the Criminal Investigations Department. Nothing is being spared in the cover up. Even the planned visit by US President Barack Obama and His Holiness Pope Francis, have become ready ammunition being used to take focus away from the corruption that is now at the doors of the President and his deputy.
We however wish to make it clear that the government owes Kenyans the truth and we shall not allow the thick layer of lies, obstructions and name dropping to confuse Kenyans.
Nobody has questioned or opposed the slum upgrading program in Kibera or in any other part of the country. This program, in any case, is much older than the Jubilee Administration.The slum upgrading was negotiated with UNEP and UN Habitat in 2003. It begun way back in 2003, as part of the National Rainbow Coalition’s 2002 election manifesto.
I had the privilege of negotiating the program with the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) in in my capacity as Minister for Roads, Public Works and Housing, and it has ran to date.
What is in question is the very shady, murky and extremely unethical procurement procedures at the Ministry of Devolution’s NYS projects where beans, dengu, sugar, rice and milk, among other things, are being supplied at exaggerated prices by shadowy companies some of which are linked to senior officials in government.
The President has no authority to declare an end to investigations or no investigations whatsoever where the public has reason to believe investigations ought to go on. Unless the President is party to the murky business going on at the NYS, he must keep off this scandal and allow thorough and independent audit whose results must be shared with the public and explained by the investigating agencies. The Presidency is not an investigative agency. It does not and must not speak for the CBK or the CID.
We strongly object to the existence of two sets of laws governing the war on corruption where some suspects get presidential cover while others are left on their own. Covering up for the corrupt can never qualify as transformative change.
HON RAILA ODINGA; EGH.
JUNE 25, 2015.
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