Senate Roads and Infrastructure Committee Sends Roads CS Davis Chirchir back for failing to appear with him the documents during probe by the committee over the controversial JKIA take over by an Indian firm
Kisii Senator Dr Richard Onyonka and Nairobi’s counterpart Edwin Sifuna termed the move as an escape that won’t be tolerated by the people’s representatives and Kenyans must know the truth
The Senate Roads, Infrastructure and Urban Development Committee has bashed the new Roads and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir for appearing before the committee without the documents to shed more light on the contractual arrangement between the Adani Group and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport
Senators Samson Cherargey [Nandi County] Dr Richard Onyonka [Kisii] Dr Stephen Lilegwe[Samburu] Edwin Sifuna [Nairobi] and Peris Tobiko [Nominated] unanimously lectured the CS for starting with the wrong path like the former CS Kipchumba Murkomen whom Cherargey described as he was the enemy to Kenyans
“You’ve started with wrong foot, don’t be like former CS Murkomen who messed the whole country, the matter of sub judice it’s neither here nor there,” Nandi Senator Samson Cherargey lectures Chirchir
Cherargey termed the move as mockery to the Senate standing committee bearing in mind the concerns being raised about the Adai Group taking over from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as very weighty and heavy that no senator can’t withstand the heat at the grounds
“Unless you want to tell the Senators that the information is classified or is one of the top secrecy that shouldn’t be disclosed to the public, you can’t appear before this committee with stories, that’s unacceptable because we want Kenyans to know what’s happening,” Vocal Cherargey poked
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna while expressing his dissatisfaction said that will withhold his congratulatory message to Chirchir until he furnishes the committee with sufficient documents about how the Adani Grouo Company signed contract with the JKIA
“This is not the Chirchir the one I know, I will hold my congratulatory message until you bring the documents.
I don’t like to entertain anyone appearing before the committee without the documents because am a lawyer and can read. So tomorrow is ruined but we will be here because this is the matter of public interests,” Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna charged
Kisii Senator Dr Richard Onyonka termed the move as a scapegoating of fictitious activities between the Adani Group and Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or the Government has the secretive information that do not want it to be shared to people’s representatives
“If you can’t respect the parliamentarians who are representing common mwananchi, means Kenyans would be hoodwinked by the executive and end up paying taxes for things which they don’t know how they were arrived at,” Onyonka stated
According to Onyonka, Adani has been given contractual green light to supply Kenya Power using Kentraco and taking over Kengen under the new arrangements which is not coming out clearly and transparent to Kenyans
The departmental chair Kiambu Senator Karungu wathang’wa told CS to take up the opportunity and tell Kenyans the truth whether the deal was genuine, is there or it’s not air
“This is the opportunity time to tell Kenyans whether the Government signed agreement with Adani Group or it’s still informal,” Thang’wa stated
However, Chirchir downplayed the accusations confirming to the senators that his technical team had advised him otherwise on matters sub judice and that the Government is much interested and willing to inform to Kenyans about the contractual arrangement between the Indian firm and JKIA
Chirchir has pleaded to the Senate to appear on Friday 13th armed with all necessary documents appertatining the controversial contract between the Adani Group and JKIA, as the workers continues to mount pressure for participation and new working labour relation to avert any job losses
In the contractual arrangements, it’s reported that the company will have powers to amend Kenyans laws impose extra charges at JKIA as well as repatriating all profits generated from the airports operations for the next 30 years
Any breach of the contract is a risk to Kenyan Government because the matters should be heard at international level, which may force the country to compensate for any damages or breach of contractual arrangements