House team summons Cotu, FKE over Sh5 billion NSSF project

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU and ISAAC MESO

Kenya: The House team that supervises the National Social Security Fund has summoned the Secretary General of the Central Organisation of Trade Unions Francis Atwoli, and the Executive Director of the Federation of Kenya Employers Jacqueline Mugo to get details of the controversy surrounding the multibillion housing project in Tassia.

The chairman of the National Assembly’s Committee on Labour and Social Welfare David Were said Atwoli and Mugo will meet the MPs at a meeting on Wednesday next week to shed light about what they know regarding the project.

“We have read in the papers all the allegations that they (Atwoli and Mugo) have been making that something is not right regarding the project. Now we want to see all the evidence that he has to prove those allegations,” Were told the Standard Friday.

The House team has also summoned Cabinet Secretary for Labour Kambi Kazungu, the NSSF’s managing trustee Richard Langat and the chairman of the NSSF Board of Trustees Adan Mohammed.

Were said the parliamentary investigations should take a fortnight.

“We want to investigate all these issues so that when the House resumes, we have a report ready,” Were said.

The committee chairman spoke as Kazungu accused Atwoli and Mugo of opposing the project “because the contractor whom they supported lost the tender”.

Kazungu told the Standard in a telephone interview that he had FKE’s endorsement of the deal.

“Atwoli should come out and tell the public what his interest in this matter is. The project was not approved the other day. We know why he is fighting this project,” said Cabinet Secretary.

“As a member of the board of trustees, Atwoli’s role should be policy. Why is he interfering with the procurement? These are moral and ethical questions that he should tell us,” said Kazungu.

The Cabinet Secretary said he was working with the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to unearth the veracity of the allegations that Atwoli had made.