By Irene Mwangi
A section of Members of Parliament allied to NASA coalition have hit out at their counterparts from the ruling Jubilee Coalition that the purge on corruption in the country is leaning towards the Kalenjin community and the Deputy President William Ruto.
Led by MPs Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga) and Nominated MP Godfrey Osotsi, they poked holes on the sentiments made by the Rift Valley MPs led by Belgut Mp Nelson Koech that the war on graft is targeting the Deputy William Ruto’s community.
Addressing a press conference at Parliament Buildings Thursday, the legislators said the sentiments by their Jubilee colleagues that the fight against corruption was one sided was outrageous.
The Mps were reacting to the Friday arrest of Kenya Power Managing Director Ken Tarus, and his predecessor Ben Chumo over impropriety in acquisition of faulty transformers and irregular award of contracts, where they asserted that the sentiments made by the Jubilee leaders was meant to insult the efforts of the government in fighting the scourge of corruption.
“They are back again alleging that the war on corruption is targeting one side. Our question to them is, which side are they alluding to?” Nyamita questioned.
Nyamita alluded that the statements made by the Ruto allies was not in support of President Kenyatta’s commitment to fight graft in the country.
“The President has been leading the war on graft, but it is astonishing to see those who claim to be in Jubilee Party being biased on those being arrested,” he said.
On Wednesday, MPs Nelson Koech (Belgut), Benard Koros (Sigowet-Soin) and David Sankok (nominated) claimed that the multi-agency team against corruption was not genuine in their arrest of corruption culprits, pointing out that it was aimed at scuttling the 2022 succession equation.
The legislators accused the Rift valley MPs of sympathizing with corruption suspects instead of pushing for their arrest.
“What they are fighting for is the comfort of corruption suspects while throwing the plight of Kenyans who bear the heavy burden of this vice under the bus,” Nyamita said.
On his part Nominated Mp Geofrey Osotsi said leaders should not sympathize with civil servants accused of graft but instead join hands in combating corruption.
“Whether in government or in opposition, leaders should be in full support in eliminating this vice called corruption,” he said.