The united opposition has called for the summoning of Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi by Parliament to explain alleged contradictions regarding the proposed National Infrastructure Fund (NIF).
Addressing the press on Thursday afternoon, Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka accused Mbadi of allegedly misleading MPs about the legal and constitutional status of the Ksh5 trillion Fund.
According to the opposition, statements made by Mbadi to parliamentary committees contradicted information contained in an affidavit he submitted in court.
”These concerns on NIF are directly confirmed by the conduct of John Mbadi, in an affidavit, consistently presenting the Fund to parliamentary committees as a public fund subject to parliamentary oversight,” Kalonzo said.
The opposition leaders argued that while the fund had been presented before legislators as a public fund, Mbadi’s affidavit revealed something different.
According to Kalonzo, the affidavit indicated that the National Infrastructure Fund was not a constitutional public fund but rather a limited liability company.
Kalonzo Musyoka said it was even more concerning that the entity had not been formally incorporated at the time the Cabinet Secretary was making representations to Parliament regarding its status.
”This court affidavit revealed a whole contradictory reality. The entity is not a Fund within the meaning of Article 206 at all, but a limited liability company that had not even been incorporated when these assurances were being given to MPs,” he added.
While addressing the press, the opposition leaders described Mbadi’s contradiction as a serious constitutional issue, given the scale of the proposed Fund.
Kalonzo noted that the issue went beyond a technical misunderstanding, arguing that misleading Parliament on such a major financial matter undermined public accountability.
“As a CS who assures parliament of a Ksh5 trillion vehicle constitutional status, swears under oath, then misleads them, has not made a technical error. He has misled the legislature on a matter of the highest fiscal and constitutional consequence,” Kalonzo affirmed.
He went on to add, “The National Assembly must summon CS Mbadi to reconcile his parliamentary presentation with his court testimony.”
