Uhuru sister, cousin 'deserve' government tenders, women MPs say

Women MPs have come to the defence of President Uhuru Kenyatta's relatives allegedly linked to the Sh5.3 billion Health ministry scandal.

Led by National Assembly deputy Speaker Joyce Laboso, they said Nyokabi Muthama and Kathleen Kihanya are Kenyan women who deserve government tenders.

They also accused opposition leader Raila Odinga of victimising Muthama and Kihanya.

"We want to state as the Kenya Women Parliamentarians Association that the media and Raila should tell the public whether the victimised women followed the law or not to acquire the tenders," Laboso said on Monday.

Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire said Muthama and Kihanya are among the minority who are guaranteed 30 per cent tenders from the State.

"This is misdirected victimisation. Every Kenyan has access to AGPO regardless of who you are related to," she said.

Mogotio MP Hellen Sambili asked Raila to concentrate on his competitor Uhuru and leave the President's relatives to do their own business.

"Raila should stop his fabrications aimed at portraying Jubilee government as corrupt," she said.

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Muthama and Kihanya are co-directors at Sundales International Limited, which is alleged to have received Sh200 million from the Health ministry.

The Star found that between September 2014 and February this year, for instance, Sundales won at least five separate tenders from the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority — worth Sh270 million.

On Saturday, Muthama said they applied and won a contract worth Sh41 million in a competitive bidding process.

Kihanya, who is Uhuru's cousin, said they won the bid to supply emergency nutrition commodities to the Health ministry.

"Throughout the process we complied entirely with the provisions of the tender, and the transaction was above board," she said at the press briefing.

Reports have indicted that Sundales is registered under special groups.

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