Bribery probe team visit washroom as recanted evidence threatens report

National Assembly Powers and Privileges Committee members Peter Mwathi(L) and Vincent Tuwei(R) with a witness Kiambu Women Representative Gathoni wa Mchomba(C) are out for a fact finding mission following claims of bribery in the toilets at Parliament on Tuesday 16/10/18. [Photo: Boniface Okendo,Standard]

Legislators investigating bribery claims linked to a sugar report yesterday visited the washrooms where money allegedly changed hands.

The visit by the Powers and Privileges Committee is part of ongoing investigations to unravel claims that MPs were paid between Sh10,000 and Sh30,000 to shoot down the report that would have seen two Cabinet secretaries  - Henry Rotich (National Treasury) and his East Africa Community (then Trade) counterpart Adan Mohammed - sent packing.

The team chaired by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi later retreated for a closed-door session.

Mr Muturi had indicated that the committee would consider re-inviting Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni wa Muchomba to corroborate her claims that some female MPs received bribes in the toilets ahead of the chaotic August 9 afternoon session.

Sugar report

Two weeks ago, Ms Muchomba narrated to the committee how she followed fellow woman reps to the ladies’ toilets and found them discussing how much money each had been given.

“When I went to the toilet, I heard people saying they had been given Sh10,000 by (Wajir Woman Representative) Fatuma Gedi to shoot down the sugar report. Another said ‘she should have given you Sh30,000.’ Some were even saying they had been given money for other members,” she told the probe team.

Muchomba however said she could not identify the members who shared the cash in the toilets because they were inside the cubicles and she could only listen to their conversations.

But even as the committee continues with investigations, sources told The Standard it had run into headwinds and was likely to dismiss the bribery claims.

The source said the recanting of testimonies by most of the witnesses had thwarted investigations, adding that those who had stood by their claims could not provide specifics to back their allegations.

Of all the witness who have since appeared before the team, only three MPs – Muchomba (Kiambu), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and Ayub Savula (Lugari) - have maintained that their colleagues were bribed.

Appearing before the committee last week, Nyeri Woman Representative Rahab Mukami denied seeing her colleagues receive bribes. She instead said she only made remarks on the alleged bribery after noticing a suspicious trend of MPs going to a new restaurant and emerging minutes later to vote.

Bribery attempt

Mr Barasa had claimed that he was with Sirisia MP John Waluke when Ms Gedi approached him with Sh10,000, which he rejected. But Mr Waluke denied being with his colleague during the alleged bribery attempt.

Muhoroni MP James K’Oyoo, who also alleged MPs were compromised, made a U-turn, saying he made the bribery claims out of anger that the report had been defeated.

Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati and his Naivasha counterpart Jayne Kihara both denied the bribery claims.

The committee is also scheduled to grill Charles Njagua (Starehe) and Babu Owino (Embakasi East) over their reported near-fist fight in Parliament precincts.

Others to appear before the powerful committee are Caleb Hamisi (Saboti ) and Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) over alleged misconduct.