Will CS Henry Rotich Be Fired After 26 Hours Of Grilling?

To what extend the Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury Henry Rotich is implicated in graft, only the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) knows after close to 26 hours of grilling.

However, one thing is for sure, Rotich sits uneasy at the helm of the national treasury, with pressure mounting from all corners for him to step aside.

The latest to call for sacking to CS’s implicated in graft is Musalia Mudavadi, who has called on to the President to fire immediately CS’s facing graft allegations.

Kenyans led by members of parliament (MPs) have started calling for his resignation, while others suggest that he might be shown the door by President Uhuru Kenyatta very soon.

Yesterday, Alego Usoga MP Samuel Atandi called on the CS to resign to pave way for investigation to the loss of Ksh21 billion, which has caused a stir in the political arena.

“I want to be the first person to call on Rotich to resign. Just as I urged President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack Rashid Echesa as Sports CS, I want to urge him to fire Rotich. Mr Rotich must just be fired. This dam scandal is his scandal,” said Atandi.

Constitutional Lawyer Bobby Mkangi says that “in the Spirit of the constitution”, Rotich should resign.

“Stepping aside to allow for investigation comes in. If authorities have began formal investigations, the holder of the affected office should step aside,” said Mkangi.

Media in sections of the media indicate that the treasury PS Kamau Thuge is also roped into the scandal, and could next in line to face the sleuths.

The issue is so deep rooted that Rotich and Thuge’s interactions, conversations and correspondence with the Italian Company in question, CMC di Ravenna, are under the scrutiny of the DCI.

Ripples of the scandal are being felt across the country, with residents of Kerio Valley where the dams were supposed to be constructed, holding demonstrations yesterday.

Read: EACC Probes Irregular Tender Awards By Gatundu South’s CDF Committee

“We thought it was a nobble project which would have transformed this region economically but it is now becoming a cash cow for some greedy individuals,” said Amos Koech, a resident quoted by the Nation.

Kerio Valley Development Authority (KVDA) managing director David Kimosop, an engineer Mr Paul Serem, procurement manager William Maina Kiprotich could also face charges in the same scandal.

In the political arena, the scandal has caused jitters, reviving a war of words between Deputy President William Ruto and Africa Envoy for Infrastructure and Development Raila Odinga.

On his side, Ruto was quoted saying that the amount was ‘just’ Ksh7 billion, but Raila responded wondering how Ruto could have come into conclusion before even investigations were concluded.

DP Ruto’s allies have joined the war, this time accusing the DCI of being used by some politicians to suffocate Ruto’s 2022 Presidential bid.

Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi has even gone an extra mile to implicate President Uhuru as the man calling the shot in the war against corruptio, “that is targeting one community”.

“I beg to differ Sir. In fact, your so-called fight against corruption is targeted at individuals and a community. And I will give you examples. “Advance payments were made for Thwake dam in Makueni (7.2 billion, 2 years ago), Karumenu dam in Kiambu (3.6 billion, one and half years ago), Arror dam in Elgeyo/ Marakwet (4.2 billion, a year ago), and Kimwarer dam in Elgeyo/Marakwet (3.6 billion, 6 months ago),” said Sudi.

Elgoyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen said that the DCI were blindly investigating the matter, without knowing how such projects are done.

“I urge the DCI that before he embarks on any investigations of this nature, they should engage experts with the necessary knowledge on these types of contracts and how such projects are implemented,” he said.

The Senator also claimed that the alleged scandal is being weaponised as a tool for 2022 political fights.

“Politics should be done politically by politicians and such other matters of the state such as fighting corruption and national development should be done objectively,” he said.

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