This archive report was first published on 19 August 2021.
Published on August 19, 2021, a report by Kenyan Insights revealed that Lunga Lunga MP Khatib Mwashetani has abandoned his 2022 gubernatorial ambitions in favor of Lung'anzi Chai, a Kenya Ports Authority engineer.
Chai, who is also a member of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA), a party associated with Deputy President Dr. William Ruto, has been accused of swindling from the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) like Mwashetani.
According to the report, Mwashetani is backing Chai, who allegedly pocketed bribes while serving as the CDF manager for Kinango constituency. Chai was selected by Hon. Gonzi Rai and used his position to hawk CDF bursaries at Sh10,000 and Sh20,000 to poor parents in Kinangop.
Investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) revealed that Chai and Mwashetani colluded with Procurement chiefs, accountants at the Agriculture docket, and directors of Blackstone Investment in a maize subsidy scam worth Sh1.8 billion.
The scam involved the irregular payment of Sh1.8 billion to controversial firms that imported maize during the 2017 drought. EACC found that Blackstone Investments, associated with Mwashetani, was paid Sh792.5 million despite not being invited to tender.
“Blackstone Investment had not been invited to tender, yet it was contracted to supply maize contrary to the Public Procurement and Assets Disposal Act (PPDA),” said Twalib Mbarak, the EACC chief executive.
