Busia Senator Okiya Omtatah has alleged that so far he has rejected bribe amounting to over Sh200 million from power brokers to withdraw the Finance Act, 2023
Omtatah, addressing the People’s Anti Corruption Summit 2023, the Senator, insisted that he turned the offer down because his condition to leaders is to govern or vacate the office
He spoke furiously regretting how Kenyans have been taken for granted by the successive regimes, noting that he is priceless and can not accept bribes
“Right now have been offered over sh200 million to withdraw my petition on Finance Act and am telling them my price is, if you can not govern, leave for those who can.
We have to ensure that we abide by the law. They believe everyone has a price,” He disclosed
But I tell them, my price is one, if you can’t govern vacate the office for those who can govern,” he stated during the live-streamed event.
Omtatah further claimed that Kenyan taxpayers were shortchanged during the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) alleging that no loan was procured for the project from China
Instead, he argued that the Kenyan taxpayer forked out the entire Ksh900 billion the then Uhuru Kenyatta regime spent on the railway line.
Contrary to what we have been told, SGR was fully funded by the people of Kenya to the tune of Ksh900 billion. SGR did not cost Ksh360 billion, and no money came from China. We want to know why are we repaying a loan for which no single cent came to Kenya,” he alluded
The activists turned politician, demanded Auditor General to audit Kenya’s debts so that Kenyans can pay those which benefited them.
“We must audit debts and pay those which benefited us, those that have not benefited Kenyans should be paid by those who benefited from it,” He added
The serial litigant further wondered saying that country’s unpaid debts is taking more than 70 per cent of the state budget, something which then calls for a state of war
The act in contention was assented by President William Ruto to law, but it’s implementation has been injunctioned by the courts as of yesterday, court directed Chief Justice Martha Koome to form a bench to look into the matter
Whilst happening, President Ruto has faulted the courts and demanded to leave him alone over interfering with the Finance Act, 2023 so that he can serve Kenyans