Kiambu Deputy Speaker John Njue on Wednesday, June 14, used Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s war on alcohol as a guise to defend himself in a Ksh130,000 bribery case he is currently embroiled in.
The Hospital Ward Member of the County Assembly (MCA) was arrested on Tuesday, June 13, by Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers for soliciting a bribe and demanding a piece of prime land from a constituent in exchange for assistance in navigating bureaucratic hurdles to obtain approval to run commercial activities on the property.
Speaking to the press, the MCA vehemently denied the accusations claiming that he was approached by businesspeople who wanted to start a club in an estate in Thika.
“Some people called me and said they want to start a club in an estate and I outrightly refused.
"We firmly uphold our position as both the Kiambu County and national government that clubs within residential areas are strictly prohibited," he emphasized.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has been actively leading a relentless campaign against drug abuse, particularly in Central Kenya. The MCA invoked this campaign as part of his defense, stating, "Even the Deputy President has approved this stand."
“As the public officials responsible for issuing club permits, we are not going to allow them in estates. We shall also review all permits already awarded,” he added
The politician, however, contradicted himself over what transpired before the alleged bribe was offered.
Initially, he remarked, “They gave me money and I refused to take it. It is then that they reported me to EACC and I wrote a statement.”
He later recanted that statement and stated, “About the money, I heard it first at EACC. I have never asked for any money.”
Njue further noted that he was not in a position to ask for any payment since he was not the receiving authority for county payments.
On Monday, June 12, the DP while convening a meeting in Tharaka Nithi noted that the Kenya Kwanza government would not relent on the war against alcohol and drug abuse.
The DP during the meeting ordered Officers Commanding Stations (OCSs) and County Commissioners to end the menace in ten days or face the sack.
Two days after the directive, the Interior Ministry through Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki announced that it was actively acting on he DP's directive.
"A total of 43,708 outlets have been assessed, with 37,713 already cleared to carry on with operations while 5,995 have been closed down due to serious safety breaches and failure to comply with essential legal requirements," Kindiki stated.
