I Witnessed MPs Receive Sh10,000 Bribes at Parliament Toilets, Kiambu Woman Rep. Gathoni Wamuchomba Says

Kiambu Woman Representative Gathoni Wamuchomba says she witnessed MPs receive bribes at Parliament toilets in order to reject a House report on importation of contaminated sugar into the country.

Gathoni said the reports about bribery of MPs were true noting that her colleagues even insulted her after she declined to take the bribe. The report, prepared by a joint committee led by Kieni MP Kanini Kega was shot down immediately it was tabled on the floor of the House.

"Those are funds that can lead to inevitable curses; I cannot partake to such. I am telling the Speaker that I want to be at the centre of the investigations because I was in the National Assembly when the funds were being dished out. I saw where they (MPs) were rushing to to receive them (bribes) and even some kept insulting those of us who refused to join them,” the Woman Rep said.

"Some kept insulting us, “Hiyo pesa siyo ya mamako” (It is not your mother’s money”) as others claimed that we were acting proud by refusing to take the bribes," Ms Wamuchomba told journalists.

She wants CCTV cameras including those in the corridors and toilets be screened to reveal the identity of MPs who received the kickbacks.

"If leaders can take bribes to cover up such an issue, it means they can easily take in bribes from terrorists and drug barons; that is why the country is still struggling with these vices," Ms Wamuchomba added.

Naivasha MP Jane Kihara said one MP from Nakuru approached her and informed her that the Jubilee party had decided to 'kill' the report on Sugar.

"The MP told me that he had been sent by Majority leader Aden Duale to make sure that MPs from Nakuru county did not pass the motion and again said even Minority leader John Mbadi had instructed his colleagues to do the same," she said in an interview with a local TV station.

Kieni MP Kanini Kega who chaired the committee that authored the report said Speaker Justin Muturi, Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart John Mbadi were to blame for the rejection of the report.

“All the 26 members of my committee appended their signatures to the document but it is unfortunate that when we came to the House, the speaker did not give opportunity to any of them to contribute. I read malice in this because all those people who were given the opportunity to speak were against it. It was done in a well-choreographed manner,” Kanini said.

“I remember trying to indulge the Speaker to rein in the members led by the Majority leader who were consulting in high tones. I think I was wrong because they had already made up their minds,” said the irate MP.

“It was one of my lowest moments because I realized we were taken on a wild goose chase. They did not have the interests of cane farmers at heart and it was basically about business wars,’ he said.