NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 2 – Members of Parliament are sharply divided over a harmonised report into the Sh283 million cemetery scandal which now wants a recommendation for Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi to take political responsibility for the deal expunged.
Three members of the Parliamentary Committee on Local Authority have disowned the harmonised report.
MPs Joshua Kutuny, David Ngugi, Peter Mwathi and Gideon Konchellah said they would oppose the adoption of the report by the departmental committee on Local Authorities and the select committee on Local Authorities and Funds, when it comes up for debate.
They also hinted that there were several other MPs opposed to the harmonised report.
Speaking to Capital News Mr Kutuny said they stand by the original report that implicated Mr Mudavadi.
He said: "This committee has gone through turbulent times, at one time the former chairman tried to persuade us not to include the name of the minister but when we refused he resigned because it was going to have serious political implications. People are applying double standards when it comes to fighting graft."
Mr Mwathi said it was shocking that the Deputy PM had been cleared in the harmonised report yet the buck stops with him as the head of the ministry involved.
On his part the Committee Chairman Mohamed Gabow accused the members of dishonesty saying that they did not raise the issue during a meeting they held earlier in the day.
"We have a list of members who flew to Mombasa and deliberated on the report for three days and signed it, but if they have had a change of heart I cannot say anything about it, but I find that the highest level of hypocrisy," he said.
He however confirmed Mr Kutuny had refused to append his signature to the report.
The report by the committees of Local Authorities and Local Authorities and Funds however wants the Local Government Minister investigated to ascertain if he is guilty.
The City Council of Nairobi reportedly paid Sh283 million for a rocky patch of land whose real value is said to be less than Sh20 million.
It later turned out the land was unsuitable for use as a graveyard given Langata Cemetery was full.
The report indicts suspended PS in the Ministry of Local Government Sammy Kirui who is already facing charges in court.
It also recommends that Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey Majiwa who stepped aside last week to take political responsibility for the deal and establish a possible link between him and the law firm of Owino Kojwando to ascertain the payment of Sh10 million.
The report further recommends that Mr Majiwa be barred from holding any public office if found guilty.
It also wants assets that might have been acquired by Mr Majiwa using the cemetery funds seized and any monies recovered.
The report also wants former Nairobi Town Clerk John Gakuo also barred from holding any public office.
An earlier report tabled in Parliament by the Committee on Local Authorities had indicted Mr Mudavadi and called for his resignation.
The report was tabled by Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabir who later resigned as the committee chairman and was later replaced by Mohammed Gabow.
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