Uhuru Kenyatta has not stopped La Mada meetings, says CS Munya

Trade and Industrialisation Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya has denied reports that President Uhuru Kenyatta had ordered him and his Mt Kenya colleagues to stop meetings at La Mada Hotel.

Instead, Mr Munya said the CSs had intensified their meetings and devolved them to counties and sub-counties.

"It is total lie and fabrication to say we have stopped our meetings. In fact, we were to meet yesterday (Wednesday) but we had other engagements. We are to meet again next week," Mr Munya said.

He added: "Our meetings continue. We are intensifying them. Nobody has stopped us. We are cascading issues of development to counties and sub-counties to know exact situation on the ground, for instance where the water projects have reached."

Mr Munya who chairs a team whose other members include CSs Joe Mucheru (ICT), Sicily Kariuki (Health), James Macharia (Transport) and a number of principal secretaries and parastatal chiefs said they were now also involving counties and sub-counties leaders on enhancing growth in Mt Kenya region.

PROBE

The CS said the Directorate of Criminal Investigations was yet to update the ministers accused of plotting to assassinate Deputy President William Ruto on the progress of the investigations.

“No one has talked to us. The legal process is very specific on investigations. The complaint must be formal and recorded on Occurrence Book,” he said by phone.

The former Meru Governor challenged Dr Ruto to record a statement on the assassination claims to hasten the probe.

“Until that is done we read more politics on the matter than serious fear of crime taking place. If somebody felt the group wanted to kill or injure him that is a serious matter he should go and make a statement. So far the claims are not official,” Mr Munya who is a lawyer by profession, said.

Mr Munya reiterated his denial that the meetings he chairs were meant to harm Dr Ruto stating that they are “to push for speedy implementation of development projects in Mt Kenya region.”

'SET RECORD STRAIGHT'

Mr Mucheru, Mr Macharia, Ms Kariuki and Interior PS Karanja Kibicho have also denied the claims.

Mr Munya said it is President Kenyatta who had mandated the leaders to find ways of hastening growth in Mt Kenya and that it is only the head of State who could stop the gatherings.

Asked if the assassination claims had divided the Cabinet, Mr Munya said: “I can’t tell as we have been working as normal.”

“We are properly coordinated. The President is fully in-charge through the delivery unit and his office. The Cabinet committees are functioning. We had a meeting at the Office of the President on Tuesday as usual. The PSs also had their meeting,” Mr Munya said.

He said Meru people including his grandmother had been taken aback by the assassination claims and were “worried that I had become chairman of meeting to kill the Deputy President.”

“That is why I went back to Meru last week to set the record straight that I am still the Munya they knew,” the CS said.