Odinga says the money belongs to Kenyan taxpayers and it is up to the government to find ways for the money to be paid back/FILE
Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of misleading the Kenyan people when he said failure to pay would adversely impact the country’s borrowing capabilities.
“Nobody should be cheated that there is any relationship between the paying of this Anglo Leasing money and our credit rating with regard to the Euro bond. Because those same people you’re going to with Euro bond already hold bond in this country meaning that already they have confidence,” he said.
CORD placed the figure that needs to be refunded at Sh4.1 billion, with Acting Party Leader Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o claiming that Treasury secretly paid out the second tranche of over Sh3 billion demanded by businessman Anura Perrera.
“I hope the press does not get it wrong. The Prime Minister talked of Sh4.1 billion. You only know of Sh1.4. But since then Anura Perrera asked for some more. We do believe that it has been paid. This time not involving too much public discourse,” he alleged. READ: Perrera back for Sh3.1bn more Anglo Leasing cash
National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich had however previously ruled out the making of any more Anglo Leasing payments outside the Sh1.4 billion paid out last month.
“No, we are not making any other payment. This is a disputed debt; it may find its way again to the courts and we will battle it again if it does go there,” he said. “If Judgment is put against us we will face the challenge. But as we stand now we are not paying any other debt,” Rotich had affirmed. READ: Rotich says ‘no more’ to Anglo Leasing
President Kenyatta himself said the Kenyan people would seek restitution for the Sh1.4 billion and the government was only making the payment to avert a budgetary crisis.
“The Euro bond was part of our budget for this financial year and it was a clear choice given the fact that we had already lost the cases and orders had been issued against the Government. There was no way we could go for this particular bond without having first cleared our international obligations,” he defended. READ: Pay Anglo Leasing now, orders Uhuru
In an interview while in the United States, Odinga was quoted saying Anglo Leasing occurred in the Kibaki administration but had started under the Nyayo era.
He however said that not all Anglo Leasing-related projects were fictitious and gave the example of the navy ship and Project Nexus, a border surveillance system based in Karen.
“It is mad to refuse to pay for the delivered services,” he was quoted as saying.
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