Kenyan MPs doubt EACC corruption list, accuse presidency of manipulations to target URP leaders

NANDI COUNTY: Over 10 United Republican Party (URP) affiliated legislators have accused President's Uhuru Kenyatta of a conspiracy to tarnish the image of their party.

It follows the recent release of a list of purportedly corrupt elected and appointed public officials by the executive where the URP leaders accused Uhuru of targeting members of the said party.

The leaders who included Nandi Senator Stephen arap Sang, MPs Silas Tiren (Moiben), Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South), Kangogo Bowen (Marakwet East), William Kisang (Marakwet West), Cornelly Serem (Aldai), Alfred Keter (Nandi-Hills), Julius Melly (Tinderet) and Zipporah Kerring (Nandi Women Rep) spoke in a fundraiser at Kobujoi Catholic Church in Aldai Constituency over the weekend.

The Nandi senator doubted the 'corrupt list' originated from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and accused the presidency of creating the list to target promising leaders in URP.

"We would like EACC to come clear and tell Kenyans the origin of the said corrupt list, it is obvious that the anti-graft commission did not prepare this list going by the fact that most of the public officials named in the list had not been summoned by EACC for questioning on any corruption claim," said Sang.

The leaders accused the President of tarnishing the reputation of their party where they said over 35 URP affiliated leaders and close associates of Deputy President William Ruto had been affected.

"This is a targeted attack at the reputation of URP, a planned conspiracy to publicly deface hardworking public officials for political reasons," said Melly.

The leaders threatened that the process would 'backfire' on Uhuru and his government and accused him of politicizing the fight against corruption in Kenya.

"This process will backfire squarely on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his government, this is not a fight against corruption but a personal, political move meant to hurt URP, its leaders and their reputation," said Sang.

URP and Ruto's close allies who have been affected by the anti-corruption move include Felix Koskei (Agriculture Ministry), Kazungu Kambi (Labour), Davis Chirchir (Energy) and the DP's Chief of Staff Marianne Kittany.

Others include AFC's Patrick Osero, Charles Tanui (Kenya Pipeline) and Ricahrd Langat (NSSF).

Tiren (Parliamentary Committee of Agriculture), Melly (Parliamentary Accounts Committee) and their Nandi-Hills counterpart Keter who were also listed in the 'corrupt list' expressed shock that their names appeared in the list and doubted the President's wisdom in branding the entire committee corrupt.

"This is rag tag politics, public crucification of a few members to save the rest, we see names of individuals who have prominently featured in corruption scandals missing from this list; we read malice in the President's action to hang our names in public as corrupt," said Melly.

The leaders called on the disbandment of EACC, and the formation of another commission accusing EACC of lacking objectivity in the fight against graft.