The united opposition has called on Parliament to summon Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi to explain alleged contradictions regarding the proposed National Infrastructure Fund (NIF), a project reportedly worth about Ksh5 trillion.
Speaking during a press briefing on Thursday afternoon, opposition leaders claimed that statements made by the Treasury CS before parliamentary committees did not match information contained in an affidavit he reportedly filed in court.
According to Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi had earlier presented the fund to lawmakers as a public fund that would be subject to parliamentary oversight and constitutional regulations.
However, Kalonzo claimed that the affidavit submitted in court allegedly paints a different picture about the legal status of the fund.
He argued that the document indicated that the National Infrastructure Fund was not a constitutional public fund as previously explained to Parliament, but rather a limited liability company.
Kalonzo further expressed concern that the entity had allegedly not even been formally incorporated at the time Mbadi was giving assurances to Members of Parliament about its status.
“This court affidavit revealed a completely different reality. The entity is not a Fund within the meaning of Article 206 at all, but a limited liability company that had not even been incorporated when those assurances were given to MPs,” Kalonzo said.
Opposition leaders described the situation as a serious constitutional issue, especially considering the huge amount of public resources expected to be managed through the proposed fund.
Kalonzo noted that misleading Parliament on such a significant financial matter would undermine public accountability and trust in government institutions.
He insisted that the matter goes beyond a simple misunderstanding, arguing that Parliament must seek a clear explanation from the Cabinet Secretary.
“The National Assembly must summon CS Mbadi to reconcile his parliamentary presentation with his court testimony,” Kalonzo added.
The opposition maintained that transparency and proper legal structures must be ensured before any major national fund handling trillions of shillings is implemented.
Tags
Politics