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Money Given But Delegates Say They Were Not Bribed
- Details
- Published on Monday, 16 July 2007 23:38
The delegation that met President Kibaki was part of a group of 140 councillors and MPs who had met earlier at Nyachae's home. "We met the President to present a wish-list just like other communities have," Nyachae says. "As Omogusii, we have a right to visit State House."
The Nyaribari Chache MP says Kibaki granted the delegation's requests, including two new districts and a university out of the Kisii Campus of Egerton University.
But the President fell short of giving the time frame within which their requests would be met.
The delegation included provincial administrators from Nyamira, Kisii and Gucha districts led by Nyanza PC Noor Hassan Noor, among others. Councillor Kennedy Riogi, who read the demands on behalf of the delegation, said the request to have their allowances reviewed was deferred.
Kibaki promised to consult Local Government minister Musikari Kombo on the issue.
Riogi denies they were given Sh30, 000 each to support the Wako Draft. "No money was dished out during the visit. Our MPs paid for our travel and accommodation," Riogi said. But councillor Paul Kengere says they were given Sh4, 000 each as allowance by the MPs.
"I don't know whether the money came from Kibaki but that is what the MPs gave out," Kengere told 'The Sunday Standard'. But Kitutu Masaba LDP chairman Timothy Bosire dismisses the State House visit as bribery.
"When Nyachae met councillors at his home, they were given some money and they received some cash when they went to State House," says Bosire.
"Nyachae wants to use this to reclaim lost glory," he added.
The tragedy, says Bosire, who is aligned to the Orange camp, is that the issues the delegation raised are not pertinent to the Gusii.
Kisii Campus, he argues, will grow naturally without political intervention. Instead, they should have lobbied for better management of Gusii Institute of Technology, and a teacher training college.
Appointment to government was not addressed. Other leaders felt that creation of new districts was not important to the Abagusii.
Nairobi lawyer Dennis Matara Abincha says more districts would lead poverty because the revenue base must be increased.
