Trade Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has yet again launched scathing attack now to brands, not Erick Omondi
In his latest onslaught, Kuria has warned government officials who will advertise with the Nation Media Group to be ready to be sacked over his bitter relationship with the media company
Mr Kuria, who minces no words and speaks as it is, accuses Nation Media Group of opposing the Kenya Kwanza government led by President William Ruto
The Cabinet Secretary for Trade, Investment and Industries Moses Kuria has ordered all government agencies to stop advertising with the Nation Media Group lest they will be penalised.
The CS’s utterances came a day after the media company unearthed how Ruto’s allies pocketed about KSh 6 billion in a flawed oil importation deal
Speaking on Sunday, June 18, during the Akorino Annual Convention in Embu, Kuria accused the Aga Khan-owned company of opposing President William Ruto’s government.
“I’ll finish by telling the media that Nation Media Group should declare whether they are a publisher, broadcaster, media house or an opposition party.
I have declared that from today, any government department that will put any advertisement on Nation Media Group, should be sent home,” Kuria said.
The Cabinet Secretary’s attack on the media house escalated on Twitter when Kuria turned to unprintable insults and added “You can still advertise auctioneers and funeral announcements. We will not stop those.”
CS Kuria’s remarks caused a storm on Twitter forcing him to turn off the comment section.
Edible oils scandal
The Cabinet Secretary’s displeasure with NMG came hours after the media house ran a story in which he was implicated in an Sh6 billion edible oil deal that was birthed during President William Ruto’s first Cabinet meeting
The investigation by NMG alleged that private firms associated with senior leaders in Ruto’s government were single-sourced to procure oil for the Kenya National Trading Corporation (KNTC) in a deal that could see taxpayers lose at least Sh6 billion
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The firms imported the oil tax-free and then sold it to the government agency at a higher price, with taxpayers potentially losing another Sh10 billion in unlawful tax exemptions related to oil imports.
National Treasury and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) are said to have applied the wrong provisions of the law to approve the imports, and KRA wrongly used a notice in the Kenya Gazette to clear the imported oil
The import plan would generate nearly $76 million (Sh10 billion) waiver in taxes that the government granted to KNTC.