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Kenya

Saitoti on the spot over drugs report

NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 17 – Emotions ran high in Parliament on Thursday afternoon over a police report on drug trafficking investigations, with Internal Security Minister Professor George Saitoti being put on the spot to declare his interest in the matter.

Juja Member of Parliament William Kabogo who is among those cleared in the report demanded to know from the Minister why he was tabling a report that is titled as ‘interim’ while another part of it states that it is a final report.

“It is evident that Prof Saitoti is working under the directions of someone else so that they can continue to call us suspects, asking for more and more time yet the document itself says it is comprehensive,” he said.

“We are aware that this is a game the American ambassador is playing with the minister so that the matter of deferral of the Ocampo six can get the support of the Americans. They want to continue calling us suspects yet he knows that the investigations are complete. This report he must say that we are exonerated, we are clean,” he said.  “And if they want to bring CIDs from America or from wherever we will deal with that matter at that time.”

He read mischief in the police investigations and warned that: "The minister is simply playing games with the names of honourable Members of Parliament.”

He cited page 47 of the report titled as Interim which states that: “The complete duplicate investigations file and the final report are now forwarded to you for favour of your perusal and directions.”

Prof Saitoti however said he had brought the interim report to the House to update MPs on the pace of investigations.

Kilome MP Harun Mwau who has also been cleared in the report told Parliament the allegations made against him and fellow legislators are serious and impacts negatively to them even when they travel abroad.

He urged the House Speaker to protect MPs from what he termed as “heinous and inhumane attack of character.”

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He said the allegations made against him and fellow MPs impacts negatively to them especially: “When you are going out with another member and when you are entering may be Europe or Britain there are two entries: Red, something to declare, Green nothing to declare then you are following your comrade to go nothing to declare, but since your name has been picked in the computer that you are one of the Kenya MPs who are alleged to be involved in criminal activity, you are picked by the custom and taken on the other side, Mr Speaker, they search you including your body cavity.”

“They go back in your back and they put some thing so that they find out if you have something. And the Minister Professor George Saitoti can sit here comfortably and he can stand there and make some useless statements, the Professor must come out clear if he wants to use us as his bet for Presidency. I am sure that one will not work.”

During debate on the report, Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi alias Sonko was thrown out after he refused to apologise for claiming that children of some senior cabinet ministers were involved in the illicit drug trade.

“The Minister should know the real drug barons, who some of them are sons of senior and top government ministers in this House,” he said.

Speaker Kenneth Marende told him he had made remarks which can not qualify unless they are made with a substantive Motion to which he answered that “with all due respect to this House I will not withdraw or apologise.” The Speaker then told him he was at liberty to leave, which he did.

Ali Hassan Joho of Kisauni told the House the allegations had caused agony even to his family.

He said his family members were being ridiculed because he had been mentioned in Parliament as a suspected drug trafficker.

The Minister was pressed to state why he was tabling an interim report yet it states that it is a final report but ended saying he would brief the House next Thursday on when he will table the final report.

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