Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi addressed the media and denied allegations that she dished money to Members of Parliament to reject a report on thee sugar scandal.
During the Monday presser, Gedi demanded an apology from Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa who had claimed she offered him Ksh10,000.
“I am demanding an apology from Didmus Barasa. I am offended by his accusation and I am demanding evidence of his claims,” Gedi told journalists at Parliament.
“I last saw Barasa 10 days ago and he is lying when he claims I approached him with money. I challenge him to explain to the country where I met him because as far as I know, I never met on that day,” the Wajir Woman rep added.
[caption caption="Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi"]
[/caption]
She further stated that she had written to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi demanding an explanation from Barasa and urged the Speaker to invite detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to substantiate the claims.
Speaking on last week's vote where MPs rejected the report of the joint committee on Trade and Investments, Agriculture and Livestock over the importation of sugar during last year’s duty-free window, the legislator described the findings of the committee as shoddy.
“The report lacks credibility; it’s shoddy and there was no way I was going to fold my arms and allow this kind of a report to be adopted by the House,” the Wajir lawmaker stated.
“I mobilised members to reject the report, and for that, I have no apologies to make,” she added.
According to Gedi, the report was not detailed on whether the sugar imported during the time was fit for human consumption sentiments which had been echoed by other Members of the National Assembly.
[caption caption="Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa"]
[/caption]
The report had indicted National Treasury CS Henry Rotich, East African Community CS Adan Mohamed and Kenya high commissioner to India William Bett, who served as Agriculture CS during the period of the importation of the sugar.
The vote was marred by allegations that the MPs’ decision was motivated by powerful forces who bribed them to reject the report.
