Jailed Waluke picked to sit in powerful PSC pending appeal
The Azimio la Umoja One Coalition has picked jailed Sirisia MP John Waluke to sit in the powerful Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC). Waluke who is currently being held at Kamiti prisons pending an appeal launched over his 67 years jail-term is listed together with Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni (ODM) and Mavoko MP Patrick Makau (Wiper).
Jubilee Party, a member of the Azimio coalition has been torn between Waluke and Eldas MP Adan Keynan, but settled for the latter.
Some members of the Jubilee Party leadership are hopeful that Waluke’s appeal will succeed ahead of these elections by members.
Paying fines
It will be interesting to watch how the matter unfolds considering that by the time the new commissioners are confirmed by parliament, Waluke will still be battling his release at the Court of Appeal.
Waluke and his business partner Grace Wakhungu were sent back to jail after the High Court dismissed their appeals saying they were properly convicted and the more than 40 years they are required to serve in jail are not excessive.
Justice Esther Maina dismissed the appeals saying the prosecution proved the charges against the duo for fraudulently acquiring Sh313 million from a government agency decades ago.
Both were jailed for more than 40 years each but were granted the option of paying fines in excess of Sh1 billion each, after they were found guilty of fraudulently receiving money from National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) for maize, which was never supplied.
Waluke and Wakhungu had appealed saying the payments made arose from an arbitration and not a procurement award.
Meanwhile, President William Ruto’s UDA party has left out other affiliates in the Kenya Kwanza to hand over the four slots to his United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
Amani National Congress (ANC) and Ford Kenya are the other Kenya Kwanza parties with elected members in parliament.
In the National Assembly, UDA has 145 MPs, ANC has eight and Ford Kenya six.
Raila Odinga’s Azimio coalition has distributed its three slots to the three main coalition affiliates namely ODM, Jubilee and Wiper.
The President’s party has picked Laikipia Senator John Kinyua and nominated Senator Joyce Korir from the Senate and Faith Gitau (Nyandarua Woman Representative) and Mohamed Ali (Nyali) from the National Assembly.
