NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 9 – Former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani has dismissed allegations of coercion by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o who claimed to have been forced to release Sh15.5 billion, describing it as calculated malice.
Yatani stated that the Sh15.5 billion were recently approved by Parliament as part of the Sh127.5 billion supplementary budget.
In a statement, the former Treasury Boss explained that if the funds were irregularly requested then Parliament would not have approved them.
“If indeed the said Sh15 billion was approved with the intention of stealing public funds, why did it find its way into the current Supplementary Budget? The Controller of Budgets is completely briefed on this by virtue of her office,” Yatani said.
“And that is why her submissions to parliament were ill-intent and bent on mudslinging the former administration. This can only be a case of classic cherry-picking,” he added.
Yatani alleged that Nyakango was only acting to paint the previous administration negatively so as to align with President William Ruto’s administration.
He stated that the Sh 127.5 billion for the Supplementary budget was approved using Article 223 with the Sh 15.5 billion using the same constitutional path.
“This suggests some form of targeted malice and selective application of her discretion to shield herself from the uncertainty of regime change,” Yatani said.
Article 223 of the 2010 constitution empowers the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury to authorize expenditures that have not been appropriated by Parliament, in certain situations, without the approval of Parliament.
Once such funds are committed, Article 223 (2) provides that parliamentary approval is sought post-facto within a period of two months.
The Former Treasury Boss stated that he will not allow his name to be maligned calling upon the Auditor General to investigate on the expenditure of the Sh15.5 billion asserting that he will be vindicated from the claims that he looted public funds.
“The Controller of Budget insinuated that there was a rush to have these funds approved with the intention of stealing from the public. Yet the truth is that these funds were in respect of Fuel and Maize subsidies,” mentioned Yatani.
“If there is any doubt in the mind of the public regarding the said expenditure, I invite the constitutional office of the Office of Auditor General to securitize this expenditure. And I am confident that she will vindicate my actions,” he added.
Yatani exposed details of how Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua requested him to invoke Article 223 to request a disbursement Sh1.59 billion for his office use.
The monies were allegedly used to buy cars for Sh300 million and Sh330 million for hospitality a request he declined granting only Sh500 million due to financial constraints.
“This information like all others is in the public domain and I have nothing to hide because of the nature of operations at the national Treasury,” he said.
“And the question it begs is this: Is she doing politics through calculated malice and selective application of the constitutional procedure articulated in Article 223 of the constitution? This is the question the public jury should answer,” Yatani stated.
