House Speaker faults EACC's fraud claims against MPs

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi on Tuesday bowed to pressure and denounced the naming of lawmakers who squander public funds in fake allowances.

Mr Muturi criticised the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, which prepared the report that named the lawmakers and parliamentary staff.

He has been under pressure from MPs since the release of the report two weeks ago, with the issue generating heated debate yesterday during an informal Speaker’s meeting, called a kamukunji.

House leaders and MPs who had been named in the report commissioned by Mr Muturi camped at his office on Monday. He then called the kamukunji, where more pressure was piled on.

Lawmakers who attended the meeting said the Speaker apologised for scandalising the House.

The MPs were also unhappy that it was the Speaker himself who invited the commission to examine the systems and identify any weaknesses.

Later, Mr Muturi issued a statement dismissing as “irresponsible, premature and unprofessional” the publication of the names of MPs before proper investigations are done.

“The position of the Parliamentary Service Commission is that in respect of the parliamentary mortgage and car loan schemes, as well as other matters reported on, no evidence of any kind has been put forward in the report linking any MP to fraudulent, dishonest or improper conduct,” he said.

The Speaker added that Parliament would address the “systemic weaknesses” pointed out by the commission.

The anti-graft agency found that the names of some former MPs were still on the payroll. One MP continued to claim sitting allowances when he had already taken per diem from Parliament to travel abroad and that MPs continued to claim mileage allowances even when they were away.

Speaking in Murang’a County on Tuesday, Mr Muturi denied that any MP had been given an unsecured loan.

“The report released by the commission was erroneous and misleading since no MP has illegally claimed allowances or obtained loans without following the right procedures.”

Meanwhile, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission chided the MPs over the false mileage claims.

Commission chairwoman Sarah Serem said MPs should be leading by example on matters of integrity.

“The sad thing is that those you expect to be championing integrity are abusing the same.” 

She had paid a courtesy call on Uasin Gishu Assembly Speaker Isaac Terer.

Reported by John Ngirachu, Martin Mwaura and Dennis Lubanga.