Muturi: Report on House bribery claims not ready

National Assembly Powers and Privileges Committee chairman Justin Muturi during a past committee meeting on the bribery allegations at Parliament. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Kenyans will have to wait a little longer to know whether their MPs were bribed with Sh10,000 to shoot down the controversial sugar report.

It has emerged that the earliest the Powers and Privileges Committee will table its findings over the claims, is February 2019.

Two members of the committee chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi yesterday said the committee will meet next weekend to write the report before it is tabled in the House.

Today, the National Assembly resumes its sittings for three weeks before the MPs break again for Christmas Holiday that will run till around February.

Muturi - who is currently out of the country - yesterday called for patience as the committee continues to discharge its mandate of unraveling the damning claims of bribery in Parliament.

“Be patient, the committee will definitely table its report,” said Muturi in a text message.

The delay comes against the backdrop of reports that the committee has run into hurdles after most of the MPs who had claimed witnessing their colleagues being bribed ahead of the chaotic August 9 afternoon session recanted their evidence.

“We expect the report to be ready in December but it will be tabled in the House next year when we resume from the long Christmas recess. I can’t pre-empt any outcome as we will have to sit and review the statement of each member that appeared before us,” said the MP, who is a member of the probe team.

He said the committee has a lot of pending business, but has scheduled to retreat between November 17 and 24 to write the report.

Another member of the committee said the team may fail to indict any MP over the bribery claims after a majority of the witnesses grilled by the committee recanted their evidence.

“The report may not indict any MP over the claims. You realise that a majority of the witnesses recanted their initial claims or said they were misquoted by the media,” said the MP.

He added; But even if we fail to indict anybody, the report will spell out guidelines on the conduct of MPs while discharging their duties in the House. The report will help restore credibility of Parliament.”

The MP said 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.