Kiambu County commissioner Wilson Wanyanga has maintained that the food that has reportedly been found harmful after consumption by some families was distributed by Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichungwa and Deputy President William Ruto team even as the legislator denies their involvement.
Mr Wanyanga told Daily Nation Monday that he was aware of the distribution channels from Mr Ichungwa’s camp and even went ahead to provide contacts and the names of the churches and the pastors who were assigned to distribute the foodstuffs.
POLITICAL ENEMIES
He said his administration was never consulted or involved in the distribution of food.
“The pastors were given food to distribute to their followers. People have started (Monday) returning to the chief in-charge of Gikambura area where the food was distributed,” Mr Wanyanga told Daily Nation.
“I was not involved in the distribution. No body else has distributed food in that area, it came from Mr Ichungwa and his team,” he added.
But contacted by the Daily Nation, Mr Ichungwa confirmed the food distribution exercise but rather clarified that they did so through the help of local pastors but not unknown individuals.
He said the unfit foodstuffs branded William Ruto Foundation and Kimani Ichungwa was the handiwork of their political opponents to portray them in bad light.
FAKE PACKAGING
“These are fake packaging and the said foodstuffs did not come from us. We distributed our food through organized channels that involved church leaders with identified list of beneficiaries in need,” said Mr Ichungwa.
“What we have gathered so far is that the food which has turned unfit for consumption was being distributed by someone in a land cruiser in Gikambura and as a matter of fact they did not come from us,” the MP explained.
David Githinji from Gikambura, Kiambu County and one of the residents who received the donations on Sunday at around 4:30pm told Daily Nation that he was at Gikambura when a vehicle pulled over and one of the occupants signalled pedestrians to come and pick the food donations and later sped off.
“The food donations comprised a pack of cooking oil, maize flour and sugar. We noticed the tea had a sour taste and had some funny taste and colour when we used it when preparing the tea. Later on one of my family member had stomach ache. We have just recorded a statement with police,” Mr Githinji told the Daily Nation.
An official at Kiambu County in the Ministry of Health told Daily Nation that the government has taken samples of the foodstuffs for laboratory tests.
