Jubilee MP admits lawmakers scrambled for bribes to shoot down sugar report

juma chrispinus

August 10, 2018 3:21 PM

The MP has claimed that the money was dished out by a female lawmaker.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa has confirmed earlier reports that a host of lawmakers received bribes in parliament on Thursday to shoot down a dozier report on sugar that was set to see two Cabinet Secretaries sacked.

Speaking on a local TV channel on Friday, the MP clarified that indeed some MPs received kickbacks from a female lawmaker, whom he didn’t name, to a tune of Sh10,000 each to kick out the report on contraband sugar.

“I witnessed myself, and I am very sorry. I saw a female honorable member dishing out as little as Sh10,000 to MPs to reject the amendments by Honorable Gladys Wanga. This is completely unacceptable, and I dare say that parliament was yesterday hijacked. That is what happened leading to the rejection of the report,” Mr Barasa affirmed.

There have been conflicting reports on the amount of money the lawmakers may have received to vindicate former Industrialization CS Aden Mohammed and his Agriculture counterpart Willy Bett (former) and Treasury CS Henry Rotich of the blame in the sugar circus.

Homa Bay MP Gladys Wanga had proposed that the report be amended to include a clause in which the three CSs would be shown the door by the presidency.

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An MP is quoted by The Standard paper on Friday claiming that some members were given Sh30,000 while others received Sh20,000. Another said the money was coming from different sources.

“Kenyans need to know the calibre of leaders they have. They are parading themselves to be paid at the expense of those who elected them. Journalists should expose and shame these leaders,” said Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati, a member of the committee.

“Shame! How do you get Sh20,000 yet you earn a million? This is really bad,” said Matayos MP Godfrey Odanga as he jeered two of his colleagues as they rushed out, apparently to collect their share of the money.

But one of the MPs retorted: “What is wrong with us getting our share? I am going!” This prompted more jeering from Nyeri Woman Representative Rajab Mukami, who said: “Shame! Shame! This is bad!”

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