Mututho refuses to hand over CDF bank accounts, asks for audit first

By Antony Gitonga

NAIVASHA, KENYA: Operations at the Naivasha CDF office could be paralyzed after former MP John Mututho failed to hand over the bank accounts and offices to the new MP and his team.

Mututho declined to attend a handing over ceremony held by MPs John Kihagi (Naivasha), Mathenge Nderitu (Gilgil) and other senior Government officers.

The former MP called for an audit before handing over the accounts saying he might be implicated in financial misappropriation if there was any loss of money after he left office.

In a phone interview with The Standard, Mututho vowed that he would not hand over the CDF accounts to the new office bearers until the audit was conducted. He added that Sh59m had been used since he left office and this could not be accounted for.

“I am ready to hand over the office and the accounts to Kihagi and his team once an audit is conducted on the funds we left in account,” he said.

Explaining why he did not attend the handing over ceremony, Mututho said that he had received an invitation only a few hours to the event.

Addressing the press in the CDF office, Kihagi said that he had not handled any funds since he came into office. He added that if any case of misappropriation was to arise, the CDF Board should be held liable as it was in charge since the new Government took over.

The new MP called on Mututho to take responsibility of any money squandered during his tenure because he had appointed the committee himself.

He termed Mututho’s refusal to hand over the accounts as a ploy to delay the implementation of CDF projects in Naivasha.

Kihagi added that his office was ready to continue with the old projects started by the former MP only if they do not have cases in court.

“We are ready to serve the people of Naivasha and small issues like this will not be deterred in our vision,” he said.