Murathe being grilled over link to Kemsa scandal

Jubilee National Vice Chairman David Murathe arrives at Madison House, Upper Hill, Nairobi, offices of the EACC on Friday, September 4. He is being questioned over his role in the Kemsa Covid-19 equipment procurement affair. [Standard]

Jubilee National Vice Chairman David Murathe is currently being grilled by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers over his alleged role in the Kenya Medical Supplies Agency (Kemsa) Covid-19 funds storm.

Murathe who had earlier indicated that he was at the Coast and could miss the session arrived at the EACC Madison House, Upper Hill, offices around 2:15 pm where the questioning is taking place.

Murathe has been linked to Kilig Limited, a firm allegedly awarded Sh4 billion by Kemsa for the supply of 450,000 Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) at Sh9,000 each.

He has however maintained that he has nothing to do with the company and that some people were playing politics in the matter.

“I was not involved in supplying anything to Kemsa. Some people want to politicize the war on corruption,” Murathe said earlier.

The fiery Jubilee man said one of the directors of the said company is a friend, but he had not been involved.

“Willbroad Gatei Gachoka, one of the directors of Kilig Limited, is his longtime friend and business partner. We are consultants but I was not in the Kemsa deal,” he said, adding that he was a co-consultant with Gachoka but he had not participated in the KEMSA deal.

He told a television station that they had handled many projects together but not the KEMSA one.

Murathe, a fierce Deputy President William Ruto critic claimed the Ruto was part of those who benefited from KEMSA claiming he (the DP) had tried transfer ownership of Kilig Limited to his close associates months before the scandal.

Ruto has since rubbished Murathe’s claims and said consultants who were recently poor were now billionaires.

Kiprono Kittony, the new Nairobi Securities Exchange (NSE) Board Chairperson Kiprono Kittony,  had a session with EACC officers.

Priscilla Murungi, the wife of Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi has also been summoned to shed light on her connection Caperina Enterprises Limited which allegedly received Sh45 million for the supply of 10,000 boxes of surgical masks to the medical agency.

Also to appear before the EACC team is former Karachuonyo MP James Rege who is reported to have loaned one of the companies that benefited from the scandal.