Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party legislators unusually heaped praises on Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i.
Speaking in Homabay County, the Members of Parliament expressed their happiness with Dr Matiang'i for fighting contraband sugar in the country.
Led by the county's Woman Representative Gladys Wanga, the legislators pleaded with President Uhuru Kenyatta to protect the Interior CS as he was being fought by powerful individuals.
Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi stated: "I want to ask President Uhuru Kenyatta to please protect Matiang'i from criminals from within and without govt."
[caption caption="Alego Usonga MP Samuel Atandi"]
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The MP further added, "I know that he's being fought because of his resolute and resolve to protect Kenyans."
The ODM lawmakers assured CS Matiang'i would support him in his effort to fight importation of illegal sugar since the local sugar industry had suffered from the contraband product.
On her part, Wanga urged other politicians to support President Kenyatta's fight on corruption and further asked Kenyans to refrain from labeling the war on graft as a witchhunt.
While addressing the gathering, Matiang'i called on the leaders to support the local sugar industry as a means of creating employment for the locals.
On May 12, 2017, National Treasury CS Henry Rotich issued a gazette notice that allowed the importation of duty-free sugar following a prolonged drought in sugarcane growing areas which saw a number of people exploit the window and imported sugar that did not meet the required standards.
[caption caption="Homabay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga"]
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The notice No.4536 did not, however, specify the quality and the quantity of the sugar to be imported thereby permitting the entry of raw sugar which is unfit for human consumption, white sugar, and industrial sugar duty-free.
In July MPs rubbished preliminary findings by a joint committee on the sugar saga, terming the report as “shallow and inconclusive".
