The three Ukambani Governors in the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission radar over massive graft in their respective counties have now reached out to Raila Odinga to save them from the jaws of imminent prosecution.
The trio now dancing to Raila tune is worried that the anti-graft body is zeroing in on them after audit queries raised antennas. Alfred Mutua of Machakos, Charity Ngilu, Kitui and Kivutha Kibwana of Makueni are now tilting towards Raila Odinga as evidenced during Kibra by-elections where they jointly campaigned for the election of the ODM candidate Imran Okoth.
Ngilu
The governors took the opportunity to align themselves with Raila at a time Kalonzo Musyoka has made it clear that he is not ready to play second fiddle to Raila again. Kalonzo has rallied Kambas behind Raila for two consecutive elections where they have lost to the ruling Jubilee government. The decision by Raila to court the three embattled governors has irked Kambas who have voted for him man-to-man in the last two general elections courtesy of Kalonzo. The Wiper party is interpreting the move as a wider betrayal on Raila’s party even as the party remains stubborn on sharing the political party funds.
The entry of the three governors in Raila camp is already complicating matters for him in Ukambani considering that they are lightweights in the region politics where Kalonzo still commands fanatical following since 2002 elections.
Kivutha ,Ngilu and Mutua
However, the governors are said to have ran into desperate times on their careers following EACC resolve to charge them over graft in their counties. A cross section of leaders from Ukambani demanded to know the source of money they donated for the Kibra by-election to Raila at his Capitol Hill offices. According to a source close to the ongoings at the former prime minister’s office, Mutua gave Sh10 million, Charity Ngilu Sh5 million while Kibwana parted with Sh3 million.
Although the cash was disguised as campaign donations, the county bosses demanded from Raila to prevail on Homa Bay senator Moses Kajwang to go slow on his investigations on their counties.
Kajwang chairs the powerful senate public accounts committee of the senate that is giving the governors sleepless nights. The committee has separately summoned the three governors in the last two months only for them to play cat and mouse games forcing it to issue warrant of arrests. It is not clear if Raila gave part of the Sh18m to Kajwang although others say that this is unthinkable and it is Kajwang to give Raila money and not the other way round.
Raila
On its side, EACC is compiling files of the three county bosses and their close aides who are said to have siphoned millions of taxpayers’ money through dubious deals. In Machakos county, the spotlight is on the chief-of-staff Mwengi Mutuse who is said to be swimming in millions of shilllings by operating a cartel that controls happenings at the county.
Also under investigations are companies owned by his allies who are believed to win any lucrative tender without following the procurrement procedures. Also targeted are three county executives and a number of chief officers who are involved in shady deals. Machakos senator Boniface Kabaka has vowed to bring Mutua down together with his chief of staff whom he accuses of blocking his legal fees for political reasons.
In Kitui county, the EACC is pursuing close confidantes of Ngilu. The investigations were slowed after arsonists burned down the entire finance office department. A report by both Kitui sleuths and assembly committee indicted close Ngilu aides behind the arson.
The fire was meant to erase any evidence of financial transactions since Ngilu took over from former governor Julius Malombe.
Also said to be under probe are close Ngilu family members including her daughter and son in-law.
In Makueni county EACC is probing how Kibwana paid Sh30 million to a consultant company for the Kalamba Fruit Processing Plant. The tender that was single sourced has put the governor at loggerheads with MCAs considering that the project has turned into a white elempant. The three county bosses are finding it hard to survive now that they on the receiving end of the three senators and Wiper MCAs who are controlling the assemblies.
