NASA leader Raila Odinga delved into one of the major mistakes President Uhuru Kenyatta made while serving in the former Grand Coalition government.
Addressing a forum in Kakamega, Odinga accused Mr Kenyatta of having overseen the collapse of Webuye Pan Paper Mills during his tenure as Finance Minister under the Mwai Kibaki-led government.
According to Odinga who was the then Prime Minister, Mr Kenyatta rejected a proposal to revive the company which was a major employer in the region, an action which brought the Mill to its death.
“It is him (Uhuru) who refused to approve funds for the revival of Pan Paper when he was in charge of Ministry of Finance and those who were in the cabinet then, including Governor Wycliffe Oparanya and Paul Otuoma, can bear me witness,” Odinga stated.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) chief further blamed the government of selling the company to a private investor at a throw-away price.
Odinga claimed that the Mills had assets amounting to almost Sh20 Billion but was sold off for only Sh900 Million to benefit individuals.
“The company has assets in Nairobi and in Webuye whose value could be between Sh10 Billion and Sh20 Billion, yet it was given away at a paltry Sh900 million to a friend of the President,” he indicated.
Mr Odinga was seemingly responding to Kenyatta, who on Thursday criticised the him stating that the paper production company collapsed during his tenure as Premier.
