Odinga says Jubilee has excelled in corruption

CORD leader Raila Odinga has weighed in on the ongoing drama involving the reported loss of Ksh 791 million at the National Youth Service (NYS).

Speaking at the first Kisii County Entrepreneurship Summit on Thursday, Odinga claimed that Jubilee government has resorted to corruption to “finance 2017 campaigns and ‘buy’ support to retain power.”

“Jubilee has broken every record with regard to corruption. It has also broken its every promise to fight corruption, including an MOU signed with President Barrack Obama,” he added.

The ODM leader further stated that his government would move to recover all stolen public funds and property if he becomes President.

“In the fullness of time, a CORD government will hold everyone to account for every penny and property stolen from the public. We will prove that it is possible to have a clean and honest government that Kenyans have been craving for more than half a century.”

He also warned counties against aping the national government saying they should desist from duplicating wastage, corruption and lack of accountability that has apparently been synonymous with Jubilee government.

“CORD will not protect any county government under its leadership that tolerates theft of public resources, wastage, patronage and exclusion. You should focus on areas in which modest investment will have positive impact on people’s lives.”

This is the first time the CORD leader has weighed in on the NYS saga since the emergence of an affidavit by businesswoman Josephine Kabura, incriminating former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru in the scandal.

In her explosive affidavit, Ms Kabura claimed that Waiguru received a share of the NYS money and was key in diverting public attention on the matter.

The issue was complicated further when a leaked affidavit by Waiguru implicated key Jubilee members in the scam.

In the affidavit, Waiguru mentioned Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and Deputy President William Ruto’s aide Farouk Kibet as key beneficiaries in the NYS scandal.

The revelations led to a call from Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter and his Kapseret counterpart Oscar Sudi for Duale and Murkomen to step aside and pave way for investigations.

Bomet Governor Isaac Ruto, a critic of Jubilee, has also voiced his concerns over the allegations saying those named should return public money without engaging in sideshows.

Both Murkomen and Duale have however come out to defend themselves from the allegations saying Waiguru’s affidavit is a diversionary tactic to get Kenyans’ attention from the issue at hand.

@benjaminwafula