- UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala said that anti-graft agencies should act on the matter expeditiously.
- "The revelations by the controller of the budget yesterday were extremely shocking, astonishing, inconceivable and simply depressing," Malala said.
Image: DPPS
United Democratic Alliance party has called on the government to probe the alleged irregular payments of up to Sh15 billion.
Speaking on Wednesday, UDA secretary general Cleophas Malala said that anti-graft agencies should act on the matter expeditiously.
"The revelations by the controller of the budget yesterday were extremely shocking, astonishing, inconceivable and simply depressing," Malala said.
"Stealing over 15 billion Kenyan shillings in under 26 minutes just before the end of former President Uhuru Kenyatta's tenure is deeply troubling. It is outrageous that these two so-called "handshake partners" were actually partners in crime."
This follows the revelation by Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang'o that a senior treasury official pushed her to approve billions of shillings without proper documentation.
Nyakang’o told a parliamentary committee that the official pressured her to approve payment of Sh15 billion for Telkom shares.
In documents tabled before the Parliamentary Public Petitions Committee on Tuesday, Nyakang'o shared what she said were text conversations between her and the senior Treasury official persuading her to expedite the transaction.
"Please help us expedite this," one of the text messages she alleges was from the official said.
"His Excellency might even call you if we don't deal with this by 4 pm," the official added.
"Are you saying we have 26 minutes to complete the process?" Nyakang'o replied.
"He just called and I assured him that I have spoken to you and you promised before the end of the day," the official said.
“I know he will call again. He persuaded some guys to resume work and promised that their bill is settled by today,” he added.
In the conversation that the documents show took place on August 4, 2022, between 3.33 pm and 3.39 pm, Nyakang’o told the official that the request would need time to be executed.
“The timing requires up to tomorrow as I’m still out of the office.”
In response to this, the official said, "You need to devise how to deal with it. I am sorry but try”.
In a previous conversation on April 1, 2022, the Treasury official said Sh1 billion of the cash would go to the Office of the President for security-related projects.
He said the funds were urgently needed to avert the possibility of the contractor abandoning the project.
"There's extreme urgency and I may ask the boss to call you if need be," the official said.
"Please, also facilitate similar approvals for Infrastructure Ministry for amounts Sh8 billion and Sh2 billion," he followed it up on August 4, 2022.