Murang’a senator Irungu Kang’ata is convinced that the ongoing probe into his law firm by EACC is an intimidation tactic by Jubilee Party over his controversial open letter to Uhuru Kenyatta.
The anti-corruption commission is investigating Mr Kang’ata and 24 other law firms over possible fraud in billing the Nairobi County government exorbitant legal charges for the period between 2013 and 2020.
Kang’ata is said to have received Sh3.3 million from City Hall in 2018.
The Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata, however, says the probe is the next intimidation scheme after the ruling party failed to de-whip him.
Speaking to the Nation on Sunday, Kang’ata said things started falling apart for him on December 30 after his open letter warning Uhuru that BBI was unpopular in Mt Kenya region become public.
“I started receiving phone calls from all powerful institutions in this government demanding that I recant the letter and also I be funded to go to the grassroots and speak well of BBI. I refused since I had, and still retain, a conviction I was being truthful and helping my president escape political shame shadowing him in Mt Kenya,” he said.
According to Kang’ata Jubilee then orchestrated his removal as Senate Whip “but Tangatanga wing of Senate refused to play ball hence denying the plot numbers. I had revealed how Jubilee Party honchos had threatened to remove me from the Senate Chief Whip’s position, scandalise me, and put me to jail if I refused to recant the letter by January 5. Now that I have refused to disown my letter, the intimidation has commenced,” the senator said.
Adding: “After they realised they don’t have the numbers to engineer my removal as whip, they have now reverted to using hard power of sending investigators for politics. The effect of these tactics is to make politicians cower and stop speaking the truth. That doesn’t advance the interests of Jubilee in my view.”
Kangata maintained that the BBI will be a “political miscarriage” in Mt Kenya unless changes are made to make it more people-driven.
He also faulted EACC for being used for political witch hunt under the guise of fighting corruption.
“To be seen to be a serious anti-graft body, let it now go for the many known corrupt governors and those who have been incriminated in ripping off Kenyans in the Covid-19 billions scandal. As things stand, you can be corrupt as long as you are supporting BBI,” he said.
Kang’ata confirmed that he worked with Nairobi City County in 2018 and was paid for his services.
“I got paid and everything ended well. These investigations are nothing but politics. I have been in public service as a councillor, MP, and Senator and these are the first investigations I am facing,” Kang’ata toksthe Sunday Nation.
“I have all the documents to show my singular payment from City Hall was legal and legitimate. It’s not a coincidence that the investigation is being done three years after the payment,” he said.
