Mudavadi says impunity taking Kenya in wrong direction

Amani Kenya Party leader Musalia Mudavadi addressing the press at the party headquarters on 24/6/18. He wants IEBC commissioners who resumed duty punished. [File, Standard]

ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi wants the electoral agency commissioners who quit their positions five months ago punished for absconding duty.

Mr Mudavadi wondered how the three could decide to report back on duty months after they resigned and said all manner of bad things on the commission and its chairman, Wafula Chebukati.

"They disrespected and lied to President Uhuru Kenyatta by purporting to have quit in broad day light only to sneak back to the commission's office demanding their jobs back," said Mudavadi during homecoming party of Vihiga MP Ernest Ogesi held at Vihiga high school grounds on Saturday.

Mudavadi argued that the commissioners could be worried after the Auditor General report confirmed that the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) procured several materials including mobile phones which were never availed during last year's August 8 elections at a cost of Sh900 million.

"The report has thrown them into panic and they had to return in order to put things in order," said Mudavadi.

The trio reported back to IEBC offices at Anniversary Towers, Nairobi on Friday seeking audience with Mr Chebukati, a move that saw the former issue a directive to have doors to their former offices fitted with new locks.

Mudavadi said IEBC has a huge mandate including overseeing credible elections and conducting boundaries review and should not be subjected to ridicule.

"A teacher cannot be accepted in school if he or she absconded duty even for just few days, it is funny that the commissioners decided to quit and report to work as they wished."

He urged President Uhuru to crack the crack the whip on impunity and graft.

"We cannot have a commission that disrespects the supreme Court, Kenyans and lies to the President."

On the intended introduction of 16 per cent tax on fuel starting September 1 Mudavadi said the Government is resorting to squeezing taxes from Kenyans to compensate for heavy debts the country has been borrowing.

"Both Uhuru and myself were Finance ministers before, he (Uhuru) knows that the excess taxes imposed to people and rising petrol and foodstuffs prices are as a result of the huge debts," he said.

Mudavadi indicated that he was determined to lead the country after Uhuru's tenure. He regretted that the Sh39 billion, which was duty exemption on sugar last year should have been ploughed into the ailing sugar factories.

According to him, a clique of individuals are behind the sufferings of sugarcane, tea and Maize farmers from Western Kenya.