ODM Leader Raila Odinga has on Monday called for a special audit of funds meant for Covid-19 in the country, insisting that his party would not defend anyone found to have benefited from the funds and other resources meant to fight the pandemic. ”The position of the party in the current allegations of corruption in Covid-19 related resources is that the government needs to conduct a thorough and urgent audit of all funds that have been put at the disposal of various state agencies, departments and ministries to fight the pandemic with a view to establish the facts on usage of such resources,” read part of a statement signed by the ODM leader.
The former prime minister also took a swipe at the deputy president when he mentioned the Arror and Kimwarer dams saga as a good example where an audit worked in establishing the truth after politicians muddied the waters by giving counter claims on the actual figure lost, ”The truth through special audit came after a spirited effort by politicians to mislead the country at many press conferences and public rallies that no money had been lost.”
Raila pointed out that it was common for individuals to present different versions of truth in an attempt to bungle and cover up corruption in the country, ”Our experience in this country is that the best way to bungle and cover up corruption investigations is to have many different voices each with its own version of truth. We saw the noise with regard to Arror and Kimwarer dams and the NYS scams, among others.”
Raila also mentioned many other corruption scandals that had been unearthed after investigative agencies conducted an audit in the relevant departments, ”In the Grand Coalition Government, the party successfully pushed for the systematic audit of Anglo Leasing Scandal by Kroll and Associates, leading to appropriate legal action on the culprits. When the maize scandal erupted, ODM pushed for the appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers to audit the matter, leading to appropriate action against culprits.”
”A similar approach worked with regard to the National Youth Service scam where in 2016, the office of the Auditor General was able to establish that the Kenyan taxpayer lost Ksh1.9 Billion in the scandal and proceeded to identify the principal beneficiaries of the theft.”
The statement from the opposition leader comes just a day after the party SG Edwin Sifuna revealed that ODM had called for an audit of the funds in response to a scathing attack by the DP on the party, ”The pretentious (former) Opposition, now turned lords of corruption, attempted defense of the Covid-19 grand larceny is not shocking. It confirms the worst of Kenyan’s fears that their side of handshake was never interested in the people’s good but opportunity to loot. What a shame.” said the DP in a tweet.
The pretentious (former)Opposition,now turned Lords of corruption, attempted defence of the Covid19 grand larceny is NOT shocking. It confirms the worst of Kenyan's fears that their side of handshake was never interested in the people's good but opportunity to loot.What a shame.
— William Samoei Ruto, PhD (@WilliamsRuto) August 23, 2020
Sifuna termed the sentiments by the second in command a ‘manufactured outrage’ created to enable the actual thieves disappear.
We asked for an Audit. In which language is that a defence of theft? It is the hope of the actual thieves to dissappear in the fog of the manufactured "outrage". The worst of Kenyans fear is you being in charge for we will lack words to describe the plunder that will ensue. https://t.co/lKfwD8BHXg
— Edwin Sifuna (@edwinsifuna) August 23, 2020
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