Unlikely allies: How sugar scam brought rival MPs together

The sugar bribe scandal in the National Assembly has not only split MPs in both Jubilee and Nasa camps, but also led to the formation of the unlikeliest alliances.

In the maelstrom unleashed by the scandal, MPs who previously did not see eye-to-eye due to their political differences suddenly found themselves fighting in the same corner to defend their reputations.

It is claimed that some MPs pocketed measly bribes to shoot down a report on the illegal importation of sugar last year, which would have put on the line the jobs of two Cabinet Secretaries.

Despite earning an average monthly salary of Sh1.2 million, the MPs are claimed to have received as little as Sh10,000 to kill the important report.

RECOMMENDATIONS

On one hand, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi surprised his colleagues in Nasa when he joined some Jubilee MPs who opposed the report prepared by the joint committees on Agriculture and Trade.

A majority of Nasa MPs from the sugar belt of Nyanza and Western Kenya were for the adoption of the report, which they said had far-reaching recommendations for sugar cane farmers in those regions.

On the other hand, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale sharply differed with his Jubilee colleagues Kieni MP Kanini Kega, who co-chaired the investigation alongside his Mandera colleague Adan Ali, and Majority Whip Benjamin Washiali.

DISAPPOINTMENT

Nasa MPs Simba Arati (Dagoretti North), Onyango K’Oyoo (Muhoroni) and Mark Nyamita (Uriri) expressed disappointment with Mr Mbadi for opposing the report right from the amendments sought by Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga.

Ms Wanga, a Nasa MP, sought to amend the report to have CSs Henry Rotich (Treasury) and his East African Community colleague Adan Mohamed (who was at the ministry of Industrialisation when the sugar was imported) held personally responsible for the importation.

AMENDMENTS

Former Agriculture CS Willy Bett, now Kenya’s High Commissioner to India, was also adversely mentioned in the committee’s report despite not being afforded an opportunity to be heard.

“He (Mbadi) is the team leader and we expected him to marshal his troops before the debate and tell us that we were going to reject this report because of specific reasons,” said Mr K’Oyoo. “From there, we could have engaged him on the amendments required.”

Mr Arati said Mr Mbadi had betrayed the cause of championing the interests of farmers from Western and Nyanza regions as well as the health of millions of Kenyans, who might have consumed the poisoned sugar. “I am not saying he was influenced to speak the way he did, but he should have reached out to us so that we speak in one voice and for the farmers instead of portraying Nasa as a headless chicken,” he said.

DIVERSIONARY

But according to Mr Mbadi, the recommendations to nail Mr Rotich, Mr Mohamed and Mr Bett were diversionary. “You cannot indict someone without giving that person the opportunity to defend himself,” he said, while referring to Mr Bett.

Mr Kega accused Mr Duale of masterminding the opposition of the report right from the start.

“Everybody who was present in the House on Thursday (when the report was rejected) will be investigated, but Mr Duale and Mr Mbadi must be the first to respond to queries,” Mr Kega said.

However, he did not elaborate how Mr Duale and Mr Mbadi could have influenced the committee’s work and the shooting down of the report in Parliament.

UNREGULATED

But Mr Kega added: “It is shameful that an elected leader can take money to shoot down a report that cost the taxpayers millions of shillings. Some leaders are not setting a good example to Kenyans.”

Interestingly, at the time Mr Kega was tabling the report in the House, his co-chair Mr Ali was nowhere to be seen in the National Assembly. Also missing from the House on that day was Suba East MP Junet Mohamed (Nasa), who is also the Minority Whip.

Mr Washiali accused Mr Duale of shielding the CSs despite having acknowledged the monumental problems facing the more than 300,000 sugar cane farmers mainly in Western and Nyanza regions.

Consequently, Mr Washiali is supporting a motion sponsored by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa (Jubilee), which seeks to remove Mr Rotich from office for allegedly allowing the unregulated importation of sugar.

BACK DOOR

“The Treasury CS was well advised in advance by his Agriculture counterpart on what that notice was likely to do to sugar farmers,” Mr Washiali said in reference to a gazette notice issued by Mr Rotich last year that allowed importation of sugar for a limited period to bridge a projected deficit.

The proposal by Mr Barasa is yet to be approved by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi.

Mr Duale defended his rejection of the report, saying it was poorly done and that it was attempting to "impeach the CSs through the backdoor", which he termed diversionary.

RESPONSIBILITY

“Every report brought to the House must be based on the terms of reference,” he said days after the heated debate in Parliament on Thursday last week. “But this one was shoddily done. We expected those who evaded tax to be named.”

Although Mr Washiali refuted claims of division within Jubilee, he maintained that Mr Rotich ought to be fired.

“Jubilee is intact and the decision to impeach CS Rotich is to make him personally responsible. We are actually helping President Kenyatta to deal with Cabinet Secretaries who we feel have made a mistake,” he said.