Raila calls for audit of Uhuru, Ruto over harambee millions

By ELISHA OTIENO

Cord leader Raila Odinga at a rally in Uriri stadium after attending the first anniversary of his mother-in-law’s death. He told President Kenyatta to stop pretending that he was fighting graft yet “he was surrounded by high priests of corruption”. PHOTO | BENSON MOMANYI 

In Summary

• Cord leader throws his weight behind teachers’ salary increase.

Cord leader Raila Odinga is calling for a lifestyle audit on President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto.

Mr Odinga said on Saturday that Kenyans should be told where the two Jubilee leaders were getting the millions of shillings they were donating weekly in fund-raisers across the country.

Mr Odinga spoke as his Cord co-principal, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, charged that President Kenyatta was protecting corrupt officials in his government.

“We know their salaries and returns from their companies … we should be told where this extra money is coming from,” Mr Odinga said on Saturday at Uriri trading centre, Migori County. He had earlier attended the first anniversary of his mother-in-law’s death.

Mr Odinga — who was accompanied by Migori Governor Okoth Obado, said  it was important for Kenyans to know if the donations “were their taxes disguised as personal cash”.

Mr Obado said he was firmly in ODM and would give his opponents a bruising battle in the next polls.

The governor’s opponents had branded him a Jubilee sympathiser  because he was elected on a PDP ticket after chaotic ODM nominations.

“We know returns from firms such as Brookside Dairy and we cannot be cheated. Somebody like Mr Ruto earns about Sh2 million but gives Sh5 million weekly at fund-raisers. We are owed explanations,” said Mr Odinga.

'MUST GO'

He told President Kenyatta  to stop announcing that he was fighting graft yet “he was surrounded by high priests of corruption”.

Mr Odinga repeated that Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru must step aside  to pave the way for investigations. “She must go because National Youth Service (NYS) has been reduced to a cash cow  by some government operatives,” he said.

He asked: “How can Uwezo Fund be given Sh800 million, Women’s Fund Sh500 million, Youth Fund Sh300 million while NYS, with only 30,000 employees, is allocated Sh25 billion?”

Mr Odinga threw his weight behind Kenyan teachers who were recently given a hefty pay rise by the court. He said the government was obligated  to respect the court ruling.

“It is the government that went to court and the court, in its own wisdom, gave them the pay rise. The Jubilee administration should engage the teachers’ unions on how to implement the court verdict,” he said.

Mr Odinga declared support for teachers, whom he said had been suffering through meagre salaries.

“Our teachers are justified in their demands. Even a supplementary budget  to be spent  in five days was passed recently, why not follow the same route to address teachers’ demands,” he asked.

The Cord boss noted that the teachers’ pay row dated back to 1997 and “it was time the matter  was brought to a close”.

Teachers were last Tuesday awarded a massive pay raise by the court, handing a major victory to unions in their fight with the government over salaries.

Those in the lower grades will get a salary raise of 60 per cent while those in higher grades will get a 50 per cent increase.

Mr Odinga is expected to tour Kuria West Constituency on Sunday.