Thursday, September 6, 2012

The big conspiracy that saved Kimunya


By PETER OPIYO
Transport minister Amos Kimunya’s narrow escape in Parliament on Tuesday was secured through a conspiracy involving settling of political scores, returning of old favours, flare-up of ethnic loyalties, and claims of bribery.
That way Kimunya escaped the humiliation of being censured and probably even being forced to step aside in line with the Constitution or even boycott by MPs of any ministerial business he would be transacting in the House.
The minister, who has a reputation  of getting into trouble with MPs, some of whom accuse him of being haughty, tribal, and probably even the face of impunity and high-handedness, survived the censure when MPs closed ranks and threw out the damning report of the Public Accounts Committee.
Unlike in 2009, when Kimunya was indicted during proceedings in which no member came to his defence, on Tuesday, the Kipipiri MP had enough backers to throw out PAC report.
He survived alongside Central Bank Governor Njuguna Ndung’u, with whom he had been joined in the hip over allegations of connivance in the loss of Sh1.8 billion in expensive currency printing contract, just like in the 2009 censure Motion.
Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale, who had successfully prosecuted the case against the two three years ago over the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel, however, had a hectic time moving the latest Motion.
Khalwale appeared to have lost the goodwill of MPs apparently because recent political developments worked against him.
The PAC chairman is now a key ally of Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and he has consistently led attacks against Prime Minister Raila Odinga, something that denied him the support of Raila’s key backers in the House. They decided to take down Khalwale on a Motion he was so passionate about not for the love of Kimunya, but as a punishment for Khalwale’s persistent attacks on the PM. 
Still ethnic factors were at play with the second censure on Kimunya interpreted as undermining central Kenya players. Some said the indictment of the two was viewed as a ploy to embarrass Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
Another factor was that ministers who had escaped similar fate few months ago could have lent a helping hand to their besieged colleagues.
A report by the Health Committee that adversely mentioned Public Service Minister Dalmas Otieno and Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o over the National Hospital Insurance Fund saga suffered a similar fate in June.
The committee had called for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate Otieno and Nyong’o just like the PAC recommendation on Kimunya and Ndung’u.
Instructively, Otieno was among those who rushed to Kimunya’s defence, saying the talked about Sh1.8 billion was not ‘a cash loss’ but ‘a computed loss.’
Then there was the issue of ministers fearing allowing the hounding of one of their own would be setting a bad precedent and setting a precedent that would later be used to torment them.
There were reports that a senior civil servant who reports directly to the President sent messages to friendly MPs to attend Parliament and support Kimunya.
Shocking reports
But more shocking were reports MPs were paid between Sh20, 000 and Sh30, 000 each to reject the Motion for the adoption of PAC report, which recommended the two, were not fit to hold public office.
Khalwale claimed he was also approached by a Cabinet minister to help Kimunya out of the mess at ‘fee’ of Sh10 million.
A first-time MP from central Kenya and an ODM MP from Nyanza were said to be dishing out money to MPs to ‘save’ the Kipipiri legislator.
Khalwale claimed the minister’s move came after the committee rejected a similar advance by one of its members to give out Sh1 million so that PAC could dilute the report.
The PAC chairman said following this development he informed other committee members at the meeting in Mombasa, and the exercise was called off as the environment had been ‘poisoned’. The committee later went ahead and compiled the report indicting Kimunya and Ndung’u.
Khalwale also claimed that last week when he was preparing to initiate debate on the report, a Cabinet minister from central Kenya, asked him “to go easy” on Kimunya, saying the Sh1 million the committee had rejected in Mombasa was actually Sh10 million.
“If money changed hands I would not be surprised because while we were writing the report in Mombasa, a member of the committee told us he could give us Sh1 million to water down the report,” said Khalwale.
This suggests that the MP assigned the task of handing over the bribe to committee members may have decided to keep Sh9million and only offered Sh1million for sharing, which the members rejected.
The Ikolomani MP also said the move to have Kibwezi MP, Philip Kaloki, who sits in the Finance Committee, preside over the Tuesday session was suspect. According to him, Kaloki’s committee shied away from investigating De La Rue contract after it was compromised and that his placement on the chair was deliberate so that he could only pick MPs, who are friendly to Kimunya.
Intense lobbying
Intense lobbying had preceded the debate on the report on currency printing contract between the Central Bank of Kenya and De La Rue, which saw some MPs who have hitherto disliked the Transport Minister develop a soft spot for him.
Most striking was the move by some ODM-allied MPs, who are known to have no love for Kimunya in the political arena, coming to his rescue.
Of note and most surprising was when ODM nominated MP, Rachael Shebesh moved amendments seeking to save Kimunya and Ndung’u from vacating office. This was followed with support from another unlikely quarter when Kanu Nominated MP, Amina Abdalla, seconded the amendments.
Regarded as “unpopular and unfriendly” by his fellow legislators, Ms Abdalla initially took this line perhaps to conceal her intention to save the man. “Amos Kimunya is not popular and is also a rigid member of this House. He is my friend, but he is a difficult and unpopular individual in this House,” she began her statement.
To her the target of Kimunya was more personal than the issues at hand. She asked why PAC could recommend the investigation of Kimunya while at the same time directing that he leave office.
It is understood that the move by some ODM MPs to save Kimunya was also based on political calculations ahead of the 2013 General Election. An MP, who requested anonymity, intimated that ODM MPs were under instructions to save the Kipipiri MP because he may be the point man in Central Province after Uhuru, and that the party’s dalliance with him would be a big political score for the Orange party.
 “We were asked to give Kimunya the necessary support because he is viewed as a force to reckon with in Central Province in the absence of Mr Uhuru Kenyatta. That the party may need him to get support from the region,” said the MP.
And it is this line that Shebesh took when she moved the amendments.
“We have entered a political stage. We have very good debaters in this House, but we tend to massage the truth. When you see the name of Anyang’ Nyong’o and Amos Kimunya in such reports, investigate the political intrigues behind it,” she said.
Khalwale conceded that indeed this also contributed to the rejection of the report.





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