The National Super Alliance (Nasa) coalition is being bankrolled by corrupt cartels, Jubilee Party has claimed. Party secretary general Raphael Tuju warned that the said cartels are out to bring the country’s economy to its kneels, challenged the Opposition to come clean on their dealings with the corrupt individuals.
Speaking during a press conference at the party headquarters in Nairobi on Friday, Tuju, accompanied by Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and Nominated Senator Beatrice Elachi and Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa, distanced Jubilee from businessman Jimi Wanjigi—the alleged Nasa financier.
“NASA is captive to corruption, Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg. Forces of corruption have a foothold in Nasa and our country is in danger of being overrun by a ruthless cartel which has taken Nasa hostage making the alliance to prepare two manifestos,” said Tuju.
He denied claims that Wanjigi funds the ruling party.
“He did not fund Jubilee. The Standard Railway Gauge (SGR) is the reason he jumped ship to Nasa. He hoped by joining the ruling party, he would be the automatic broker and get his 15 per cent cut for SGR tender. It did not work,” said Murkomen. The senator claimed Wanjigi jumped ship after realising Jubilee did not condone tenderprenuers.
Tuju challenged the opposition to “remove the spec on their eye” before accusing the ruling party of corruption.
“Forces of corruption have a foothold in Nasa.We cannot sit and watch this infection take over the country,”said Tuju, adding: “They are captive to or intimately connected with entities and characters who are the key drivers and beneficiaries of large scale graft. In particular, Wanjigi, a ruthless kickback racketeer has attempted to benefit from policy-level as well as executive decision of the former Prime Minister (Raila Odinga) and other Nasa principals.”
Nominated Senator Beatrice Elachi sent a tough warning to Nasa chief financier Wanjigi. “You have benefited from Kenya, you been an agent of every Chinese companies you use your papers and get 5 percent commission.
Tuju challenged Nasa co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka, who introduced Wanjigi as a prominent businessman at a Nasa function, to tell the country what business he does. On her part, Elachisaid: “Time has come as a country to talk about the cartels and measures the government has put in place to weed them out.You remember the former Chief Justice Willy Mutunga warned us of the cartels.”
Ichung’wa said Odinga was behind a grand scheme to steal from State coffers by ensuring that Wanjigi influenced the award of the SGR and the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport expansion project—the Greenfield project—to firms that would give him kickbacks.
