The storm that erupted following controversy in a money-minting deal has refused to go away.

Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale whose committee raised the storm, found himself on the receiving end in Parliament Thursday  following bribery allegations.

Khalwale, who is the Public Accounts Committee chairman, will now face the Powers and Privileges Committee, which will investigate whether his allegations were true.

House Speaker Kenneth Marende while giving directions on the matter termed the allegations as “grave.”

“I don’t understand why the MP for Ikolomani would stray from normal path to an area that is as murky as this,” he stated.

According to the Speaker, Khalwale stands to be excluded from House business and wage stopped if he is found guilty of making false allegations.

On Wednesday, Khalwale alleged MPs were bribed with as little as Sh20,000 to shoot down the PAC report indicting Transport Minister Amos Kimunya and Central Bank Governor, Njuguna Ndung’u. The committee had investigated an alleged loss of Sh1.8 billion in a money-minting deal.

Kimunya said allegations by Khalwale have dangerous implications for Parliament. “I intend to take legal action on the allegations levelled against me,” he added.

The Transport minister said word in the street is that he used Sh200 million to bribe MPs to be on his side.

Finance Minister Njeru Githae asked MPs to ignore Khalwale and treat the matter as a rumour. “This is an African disease whereby if you lose an election then you have been rigged out and if you die, you have been bewitched,” he stated.

Gwasi MP John Mbadi, who raised the matter during statement session, said the image of the House had been tainted by the allegations.

“Khalwale should give us the evidence indicating MPs were bribed. His allegations have made us the subject of ridicule,” he added. He said the image of the House and that of MPs should be redeemed.

Khalwale claimed he was also approached by a minister to help Kimunya out of the mess at ‘fee’ of Sh10 million.

He also claimed that last week, a Cabinet minister from central Kenya, asked him “to go easy” on Kimunya, saying the Sh1 million the committee had rejected in Mombasa was actually Sh10 million.

The Ikolomani MP also said the move to have Kibwezi MP Philip Kaloki preside over the Tuesday session was suspect.

— Stories by Allan Kisia and Peter Opiyo