UDA Secretary-General Cleophas Malala on Thursday, March 9 defended Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua over the Ksh1.5 billion request made to Treasury immediately after he assumed office.
Malala, who spoke on Citizen TV, argued that the money was not meant for Gachagua's personal use but for the office of the Deputy President
He explained that the office was underfunded as a result of the strained relationship between President William Ruto and former head of state Uhuru Kenyatta.
"The reason why Ksh1.5 billion was requested was that Uhuru had taken all budget elements from the Office of the DP and that office had no money.
"Ksh1.5 billion is too little to run that office because it has so many matters that need to be financed. This money was well appropriated," Malala explained.
His clarification came after former Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani dragged Gachagua into the saga involving the approval of the release of Ksh15 billion to various state officers days before the August 2022 poll.
Malala accused the media of attempting to divert attention from the revelations made by the Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o.
"The former head of state was giving instructions through a WhatsApp chat which is the highest level of misappropriation of public funds and we must therefore question where the money was heading to," he claimed.
Meanwhile, Alego Usonga Member of Parliament (MP) Samuel Atandi hit out at the DP for double speak, questioning why he asked for money while claiming that he found public offers empty.
"They claimed that they only found Ksh50 million, where did they get this Ksh1.5 billion to buy all these cars?" Atandi posed.
A statement by the ex-CS admitted to approving Ksh300 million for cars and Ksh330 million for hospitality for the Office of the Deputy President.
He further corroborated with Yatani's defence that the money which he pushed to have released had already been approved by the Parliamentary Committee on Budget and Appropriations.
The former Treasury boss denied coercing the Nyakang'o to release the money and threatened to take legal action against her over libel.
