Busia Woman Rep Catherine Omayo has claimed that someone attempted to bribe her to write a favorable report in the impeachment case against embattled Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mithika Linturi. In an interview with Citizen TV, Omayo stated that most of the committee members tasked with determining Linturi's fate were approached with bribes to sway their decision in favor of the CS.
"Someone came to me with Ksh.2 million, and another came saying the money had increased to Ksh.3 million because the report against Linturi was hot. At some point these people asked me to state what I wanted to favour the CS," Omanyo said.
She revealed that the committee members were given bribes, but some declined to be compromised.
"It was very heated during committee sittings. At some point, we almost got physical because of the bribery within the committee. We had to retreat to cool off before we resumed sittings," Omanyo added.
She said the allegations against Linturi were glaring and there was no way he was supposed to escape blame in the fake fertiliser saga.
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Catherine Omayo, Mwakilishi wa Wanawake wa Busia, amesema kwamba baadhi ya wanakamati waliotaka kumtoa CS Linturi walitishwa. Tuliambiwa tutapewa Ksh. milioni 2-3, lakini nilikataa kwa sababu nilitaka kuwatetea wakulima.
— Citizen TV Kenya (@citizentvkenya) May 14, 2024
Linturi survived impeachment when seven out of the 11 committee members voted in his favour.
His survival angered opposition MPs, who alleged that committee members had been bribed to save him from impeachment.
Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo claimed to have knowledge of corruption among the members.
“I have spoken to some of the members of the select committee and a disclosure has been made to me that questions and allegations of impropriety and misconduct by some members of the committee,” he told Parliament.
“It is necessary that such an issue is referred to the powers and privileges committee first because if there is any truth in it, this would result in the report being annulled. It would not be right to discuss that report.”
But Speaker Moses Wetangula dismissed the lawmakers' allegations, saying: “You cannot cast aspersions against your colleagues without a specific motion against any or several of them.”
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi described the committee’s decision as a case of the House's ruling being overturned by a group of seven people.
“There is a higher moral responsibility on the cabinet secretary and the appointing authority, following the overwhelming 149-against-36 vote in this House last Thursday. This matter should not even have gone to the select committee stage,” said Wandayi.
He urged Parliament to refuse to recognize Linturi as the Minister for Agriculture until President Ruto yields and dismisses the CS.
