Sack Anne Waiguru and return Felix Koskei, say Rift Valley leaders

What you need to know:

  • URP MPs read mischief in continued suspension of Koskei and Chirchir.
  • They want President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the suspension on Mr Koskei.

Rift Valley leaders are piling pressure on President Uhuru Kenyatta to reinstate suspended Cabinet secretaries from the region. The leaders are also supporting farmers’ demands for resolution of issues facing agriculture, in a turn of events that could strain TNA-URP relations in the Jubilee coalition.

The MPs from the URP wing of Jubilee are reading mischief in the continued suspension of ministers Felix Koskei (Agriculture) and Davis Chirchir (Energy).

They want President Uhuru Kenyatta to lift the suspension on Mr Koskei, in what analysts view as a move to placate farmers and resolve problems in agriculture, the economic lifeblood of the region.
Inadequate funding

Moiben MP Silas Tiren, who is also a member of the parliamentary committee on agriculture, links the suspension of Mr Koskei to inadequate funding for maize and dairy sectors.

“We made recommendations as the committee on agriculture, where I sit, but Rev Mutava Musyimi’s team threw out all our proposals. For example, we had asked for Sh3.5 billion for strategic grains and Sh1billion for fertiliser subsidies. I believe Mr Koskei would have considered our proposals in the Budget because he understands the problems facing this region,” said Mr Tiren during a farmers meeting in Eldoret.

Last month, Director of Public Prosecution Keriako Tobiko concurred with findings by anti-corruption investigators, who recommended closure of the corruption file on Mr Koskei. The suspended CS had been accused of irregularly influencing the awarding of 10 sugar import licences but EACC said the evidence gathered showed the CS had played no role in the process, which was done by the Sugar Directorate.

The DPP also agreed to close investigations into claims that Mr Chirchir and Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi attempted to influence a Kenya Pipeline tender in return for a $15 million (Sh1.4 billion) kickback.

Mr Tobiko said investigations showed the tender was executed professionally and raised no issues about undue influence. But he ordered further investigations into a Sh90 million payment from KPC to Kenya Power for unknown business contracts before the matter could be fully closed.

TARGETING A FEW

In the latest twist of events, Rift Valley URP MPs have trained their guns on Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru, whom they claim is in office at the behest of powerful individuals.

“The President should ensure all officials who had been suspended are reinstated because the fight on corruption has been turned into a witch-hunt while the realissues on corruption have been ignored,” said Senator Sang, a close ally of the Deputy President.

Senator Sang, accompanied the local Governor Cleophas Lagat and MPs Zipporah  Kering (Nandi) and Cornelius Serem (Aldai), said the war on corruption was targeting a few officials. 

Tindiret MP Julius Meli and Turbo MP Elisha Busienei also called for the return of Mr Koskei to Kilimo House base, saying farmers needed a minister who would address problems facing maize, sugar cane and tea farming.  

“Those ministers cleared by the anti-graft body, I want to tell the President and his deputy, should be reinstated,” said Mr Busienei.

The lawmakers’s actions are seemingly spurred by accusations by several MCA, led by Tinderet MCA Kirui Chepkwony, that they were keeping quiet despite the suspension of most ministers from URP. “Since Mr Koskei has been cleared by EACC and the DPP’s office, the President should bring him back to the Ministry of Agriculture,” said Mr Chepkwony.

They also took issue with the Executive, who they said did not shield other Cabinet ministers except Ms Waiguru.

The leaders, led by Uasin Gishu county boss Jackson Mandago and Nandi county Senator Stephen Sang, during a consultative meeting in Eldoret town last month, said that it was through such a united forum that they would be able to present a memorandum to the national government.