Raila told to account for property he owns in Kisumu

NASA leader Raila Odinga at a past function. Sports CS Rashid Echesa has challenged him to explain his property in Kisumu. [File, Standard]

Opposition Chief Raila Odinga has been told to prepare to disclose how he acquired property worth billions of shillings in Kisumu County.

Sports and Heritage Cabinet Secretary Rashid Echesa has claimed that the former premier owns a Sh1 billion house at the lakeside city which he must account for.

“Mr Odinga is my neighbour in Kisumu and must be ready to tell Kenyans how he managed to put up the house when he was still serving as Prime minister in the coalition government that was led by retired President Mwai Kibaki,” argued Mr Echesa.

Speaking at a funeral in Malava sub-county, Echesa said all Kenyans must be subjected to a lifestyle audit and the ODM leader is no exception.

“We have heard people pointing out others names saying so and so owns an expensive house, a helicopter and fleet of cars, even him (Raila) must brace for the lifestyle audit.”

Echesa, a close ally of Deputy President William Ruto argued that Raila’s salary was Sh1.2 then “and even his mortgage allowances were not much, how he managed to put such a big house remain a riddle,” said the CS.

The CS said he was not worried about the lifestyle audit and commented President Uhuru Kenyatta for demanding that all civil servants undergo the audit.

But the demand by the head of state that civil servants must undergo the lifestyle audit has continued to elicit mixed reactions in the government.

A section of leaders in the ruling Jubilee have dismissed is as a calculated move meant to scuttle Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid prospects.

Speaking during an interview on a local television station on Sunday night, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen claimed that Mr Ruto was targeted by a clique of politicians hell bent to frustrate him (DP) politically.

“Even we in Jubilee don’t know anything about the planned audit, there is no legal framework in place stipulating how that will be done, it is not right to target one individual in the war against corruption,” he said.

He however dismissed claims that there was bad blood between Mr Ruto and the head of state.

Reacting on the raging contraband sugar importation saga, Echesa disclosed that a top manager from a local sugar firm and a local politician linked could be arrested and detained in connection with the scam.

“Very soon they will be put behind bars, the state will not care about the position one holds in the society, we shall have all those involved in the sugar importation scam arrested and arraigned.”

Senate speaker Kenneth Lusaka and Lurambi MP Titus Khamala demanded for the arrest and prosecution of Tejveer Rai of West Kenya sugar company.

“Those behind the contraband sugar haul must be put behind bars, however, we don’t want the factory to shut down since many people depend on the company directly and indirectly,” said Khamala.

Lusaka urged politicians from Western to unite and address the problems facing sugarcane farmers together. 

“This is the time to come together is solidarity and fight for the farmers, let us not just shout about need to unite during political season,” he said.

He said already a senate committee on agriculture has taken up the matter to establish how too much ‘bad’ sugar was shipped into the country at the expense of Kenyans.