House team got Sh100m to omit Mumias audit, MPs say

Members of Parliament’s Agriculture Committee have turned the accusing finger on their chairman Adan Mohamed Noor claiming he received a bribe of Sh4 million from sugar barons to water down a report.

Mumias East MP Benjamin Washiali, said the bribe was deposited in Mr Noor’s bank account to alter recommendations on a report detailing the rot in Kenya’s sugar sector.

He also claimed that members of the committee received Sh100 million from current and former Mumias Sugar officials to exclude the names of those accused of plundering the miller in a KPMG audit report.

“The names that feature in the KPMG report had a disclaimer not to be added to the House report and that none of the 18 witnesses who appeared before the committee mentioned former Mumias Sugar Company managing director Evans Kidero for any wrongdoing,” Mr Noor said countering Mr Washiali’s claims.

READ: Kidero dismisses KPMG’s forensic report on Mumias Sugar

Mr Noor also denied the bribery allegations.

Mr Washiali, Nyando MP Fred Outa and Opiyo Wandai (Ugunja) have contested the recommendation of the committee report saying the names of individuals mentioned in the KPMG report should have been mentioned in the main report to the House. Seven members of the agriculture committee have not signed the sugar report that was tabled in Parliament last week.

This come as the Powers and Privileges Committee announced Tuesday that it receive evidence from the majority leader Aden Duale and deputy minority leader Jakoyo Midiwo over bribery allegations against the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) members.

PAC has been dogged by infighting over the fate of several of its investigative reports with claims of bribery and extortion to alter or misplace key documents.

PAC chairman Ababu Namwamba, who narrowly survived a vote to oust him, has pointed an accusing finger at Defence principal secretary Mutea Iringo for his woes.

Mr Iringo’s name has featured prominently in the bribery claims facing PAC following investigations into the Sh2.8 billion controversial expenditure by the Office of the President.

READ: Ababu links top civil servants to PAC wrangles

Mr Iringo was the principal secretary when the money was withdrawn shortly after the 2013 General Election.

There has been allegations that the committee was bribed to alter it recommendations on the investigations on the expenditure.

Mr Iringo failed to appear before the Powers and Privileges team Tuesday to defend himself against the bribery claims.

“The committee received a letter on Friday that the PS is away on official duty to India. We have sat as a committee and agreed that he will appear before us on Monday 23,” the committee chair Moses Cheboi said.