House committee to grill Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter on fraud claims

By Munene Kamau

Kenya: The Parliamentary Public Investments Committee is set to summon the outspoken Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter over his claims the Sh32 billion standard gauge contract was fraudulent.

Committee member Njogu Barua said Keter’s continued public bashing of the Jubilee coalition was sending negative signals to both Kenyans and the outside world.

“In order that our committee may be able to come up with a common stand on the matter, it will be imperative that Keter appears before us so that he can shed more light on what he knows about the alleged fraud on the mega project,” Barua said.

He said Keter’s continued public outbursts needed to be checked “since we are reading something sinister about it”.

He said his committee would ensure the MP is summoned as soon as possible so that the matter is ironed out.

Addressing scores of his constituents at his Kariru rural home on New Year, Barua criticised Keter for being a thorn in the flesh over trivial matters which could be sorted internally.

“From what we have seen from the continued onslaught against the Jubilee coalition by Keter, it appears there is some hidden force pushing him to behave the way he is doing,” Barua claimed.

On the now controversial State appointments, Barua told the section of discontented Meru leaders to stop antagonising the President over the issue as it was his prerogative to hire and fire.

Best suited

He said so far there was not a single parastatal appointment from Kirinyaga County but the area political leadership was satisfied.

Barua told the Meru leaders opposed to Francis Muthaura’s appointment as the Lapsset Development Authority chairman due to his age to realise that old is gold and stop the clamour for his removal, as he was best suited for the job.

Recently, Keter lashed out at two senators from the North Rift for trying to intimidate his exposé on the Jubilee coalition.

The youthful MP had to walk away from the burial ceremony of former Aldai MP Simeon Choge in Trans-Nzoia County after two senators openly condemned his accusations on the Jubilee government.

Keter had criticised the Government, first for its recent appointments of parastatal heads and also the delivery of promises it made.