CORD Leader Summoned by Anti-Corruption Commission over Eurobond

Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) leader Raila Odinga had been summoned to appear before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to help shed light on the whereabouts of the Eurobond billions on Thursday. According to the CORD leader, close to 140 billion shillings out of the 250 billion shillings cannot be accounted for. Raila, however did not show up at the commission.

The commission is now breathing fire and has warned the CORD leader that he risks being jailed for not less than five years as well as being fined five million shillings due to his failure to appear before the commission of Thursday. The commission says that it has every reason to believe that Raila Odinga has useful information regarding the spending of more than 250 billion Eurobond cash. The commission has issued fresh summons for him to appear before it on Monday but he has said, “I cannot go and I won’t go.”

There has been controversy for the past few months concerning how the Eurobond billions have been spent by the Treasury. Many quarters among them the opposition have been blaming the Treasury for trying to cook up figures so as to fool Kenyans on the utilization of the Eurobond billions. The Treasury has however vehemently refuted the claims calling the baseless and saying that all the funds have been transparently used. Leaders from the oppositions have been busy rubbishing the claims by the CORD leader calling them cheap politics.

The Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission through its chief executive Halakhe Wago said that it has powers to summon anyone to appear before it and give the information under investigation.

EACC detectives investigating the matter have questioned Treasury secretary Henry Rotich as well as the principal secretary Kamau Thugge, looking to unravel the mystery on how the Sh280 billion was used. Mr. Rotich has strongly denied any wrong spending by the Treasury, which also published an 18-page report last Friday detailing how the money was used.

The drama continues. Soon Kenyans will forget and another drama will come up. Until then, let’s watch and hope.

Article by Juma Fred.