Senators have demanded to be shown the imported cooking oil brought in by the Kenya National Trading Corporation to cushion Kenyans from high prices.
This is after the Senate Finance and Budget Committee failed to locate the oil imports at the KNTC warehouses in industrial area.
A visit by the senators on Monday failed to physically establish if indeed the cargo came in and was indeed were stored at the warehouse.
This prompted the committee to summon KNTC Managing Director Pamela Mutua, Trade Cabinet Secretary Rebecca Miano, the PSs and heads of departments in the ministry to shed light on the whereabouts of the imports.
However the Tuesday meeting was adjourned after it emerged that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations had summoned Mutua over a matter that was not disclosed to the Senators.
“The managing director was yesterday summoned by the DCI and she is still there answering to questions,” Trade Cabinet secretary Rebecca Miano told the Lenku Ole Kanar led committee.
Samburu Senator Steve Ltumbesi said that the KNTC deal might lead to loss of billions of taxpayers’ money.
“If it will force us to call the former trade minister, then I think we will have to do that because Kenyans are asking us where is the cheaper oil that you promised?” said Ltumbesi.
Kiambu Senator Karungo Thangwa said the session could not continue without a physical confirmation that the oil imports were indeed in the warehouses.
“We need to see this oil, I’m sure even the Cabinet Secretary may not be sure if the imports are still in the warehouse,” said Thangwa.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) in late October formally opened investigations on the alleged embezzlement of public funds at the agency through irregular award of tenders for supply and delivery of food commodities during the financial years 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
“To facilitate the investigation, kindly provide us with all the original documents listed below in relation to procurement of the food commodities,” reads the letter, which is copied, to KNTC Managing Director Pamela Mutua.
The anti-graft agency in the letter signed by Director Investigation Paschal Mweu, wants the corporation to provide among others, the approved budgets and procurement plans for the financial year 2022/2023 and 2023/2024.
