MP wants those who sanctioned Anglo Leasing payments unmasked

South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya. [PHOTO: FILE]

BY JAMES MBAKA

Nairobi, Kenya: A legislator has asked Attorney General Githu Muigai to name the signatories of the cheques that processed down payments for the Anglo Leasing firms.

Those who process payments include accounting officers of relevant ministries and top government technocrats. South Mugirango MP Manson Nyamweya says it was in public interest that Kenyans get to know the individuals who appended their signatures to sanction part of the payments to the controversial companies.

He also demanded to know the officers who signed inventories to accept receipt of the goods and services which he said were never offered by the companies now demanding Sh1.4 billion payment.

“The AG has come out and told Kenyans those who signed the deals but it is ridiculous that he has failed to name the    officers who sanctioned the payments and the technocrats behind the scandal. We want to know the officers who wereresponsible for the signing and issuance of cheques,” Nyamweya said.

The MP said it would be important for Kenyans to get the facts on how the scandal was developed right from the initial stages to the execution of payments to enable the country draw lessons from its past mistakes.

“It is the responsibility of the government accounting officers and other technocrats to advice the government accordingly regarding tenders and payments. We smell a rat that there could be some senior officers who hurriedly expedited the process of awarding tenders and facilitating down payments without due process of the law being followed,” he said.

At the same time, the MP urged Kenyans to be vigilant to ensure some individuals do not benefit from the Sh1.4 billion settlement of the accrued debt saying some unscrupulous state officers could be on the run to make a kill and consequently mutate another scandal.

Last week the President authorised the national treasury to start the process of paying the debt to save the country’s economy from shrinking and protecting the country’s image in the face of international lenders.

However, the move has been greeted with thunderous opposition from across the political divide with opponents claiming the payments were illegal as the companies delivered neither goods nor services.