Okiya Omtatah, the senator of Busia, has criticized Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji’s decision to withdraw court cases against high-profile politicians affiliated with President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
His comments come after the DPP requested that corruption charges be dropped against Public Service and Gender Cabinet Secretary (CS) nominee Aisha Jumwa and former Samburu Governor Moses Lenolkulal, who is on the shortlist of Principle Secretary (PS) nominees.
Omtatah believes the Executive is forcing the DPP’s hand, citing previous suits withdrawn against high-profile politicians during the reigns of late former presidents Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel Arap Moi, and Mwai Kibaki.
“I think there has been a tradition that Jomo Kenyatta protected his buddies, Arap Moi defended his crooks and so did Kibaki and I doubt whether William Ruto is not defending them as well,” said Omtatah.
“There has been that pattern but the DPP owes us an explanation. The DPP is supposed to be an independent office, he should not behave like a KANU youth winger and the question is shall we be able to trust our institutions?” posed the senator.
Omtatah went on to question the DPP’s criteria for withdrawing the cases, noting that prior to this, Haji had submitted evidence linking the said politicians to the graft allegations leveled against them, only to have the evidence rescinded.
“What are the criteria of the case that has been withdrawn? Remember the DPP gave very detailed press statements telling the public about this. Some of the people have been freed, others have billions of shillings that have been captured by asset recovery which they could not explain. We cannot just say this evidence has evaporated; something is happening that doesn’t add up,” said Omtatah.
Omtatah claimed that Haji’s office had secretly dropped the suit against former Kenya Power Managing Director Samuel Gichuru and former Finance Minister Chris Okemo, who are facing money laundering and abuse of office charges in the United Kingdom’s Jersey Island.
The pair is accused of stealing millions of shillings from Kenya Power and Lighting Company between 1998 and 2002.
