ODM chair John Mbadi denies conducting business with NYS

ODM chairman John Mbadi has denied that a company associated with him was involved in the National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.

Mr Mbadi on Friday said the company listed by the National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale as having participated in NYS deals went dormant in 2011 and has never transacted any business since then.

The fiery ODM law maker told the Nation the company only owned two trucks which were used for small scale supplies of sand and murram.

“This was a business mainly run by my wife. The business has never been active since 2011 and one of the trucks has permanently stalled,” said Mr Mbadi.

He accused Mr Duale of fishing for a scandal to silence and discredit him because of his close relationship with Cord leader Raila Odinga, who has lately championed anti-corruption crusade against the Jubilee government.

“Of the two companies Mr. Duale mentioned, I only have association with Takawiri Limited. But the company went dormant in 2011, way before the current saga of NYS that began in earnest in 2013 or thereabouts," Mr Mbadi said.

He challenged Mr Duale to produce authentic documents or proof of payments made by NYS to the company.

The Suba MP said there was an attempt by desperate people worried that the war on corruption was sinking their political boat to drag in courageous agents of anti-corruption to silence them.

He said his resolve to fight a corrupt system will continue and urged Kenyans not to buy the new strategy of name-calling.

Last week, Jubilee MPs claimed Mr Odinga was being funded by some county governments.

Mr Duale, the National Assembly majority leader, who led the lawmakers, claimed he had receipts and air tickets to prove Mr Odinga’s accommodation and air travel were paid for by the Mombasa County government.

ODM has already demanded that the claimed travel and accommodation tickets be produced.

ODM Director of Elections Junet Mohamed was also linked to the NYS saga by Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wah.