This archive report was first published on 20 October 2019.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen Accuses President Uhuru Kenyatta of Favoritism ¶
On October 19, 2019, Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, the Majority Leader of the Senate, spoke at the Chepsirei Technical Training Institute launch, where he criticized President Uhuru Kenyatta for favoring certain counties over others in development projects.
Murkomen claimed that Elgeyo Marakwet is the only county where projects are inflated with corruption allegations, while other counties receive large development funds without scrutiny. He pointed out that the Kimwarer and Arror dams, which were initially valued at KSh 22.2 billion and KSh 50 billion respectively, had their costs inflated by over 200%.
"There is a devil that is surrounding the country, confusing people that the money from Kimwarer and Arror dams was stolen and the costs inflated. If I am not respectful to the President and his Deputy, I will say that Elgeyo Marakwet is the only county where projects are said to have inflated costs," Murkomen said.
He also defended former Finance Minister Henry Rotich, who was accused of corruption in the dams' project, saying that Rotich was unfairly targeted and that he was innocent.
"If it is true that the money was stolen, then I want the government to cancel the project and let the foreign contractors leave. I know this will spark another controversy. However, I want to tell you (Uhuru) that the people who are being accused of this are thieves. All the projects should continue as planned," Murkomen said.
Deputy President William Ruto, who was present at the event, tried to downplay the issue, saying that the government was committed to ensuring fairness and transparency in the allocation of development funds.
"We are committed to ensuring that everyone is treated fairly and that the issues that are being raised are addressed," Ruto said.
