The Star Corridors of Power Political Gossip

An assistant minister from Western Kenya behaved badly in the corridors of Parliament on Wednesday when he attempted to hit on a female colleague from Central Province. The man loudly proclaimed that the woman "is mine". He was taken aback when the Central MP did not take kindly to his joshing and put him in his place by giving him a tongue lashing and warning him of dire consequences if he continued with the joke' which she did not welcome.

Some MPs have turned a wealthy Cabinet minister from Rift Valley into their ATM machine. The three MPs from Nairobi, Rift Valley and North Eastern are said to go to the minister's office every Friday where they collect Sh 50,000 for unspecified services.

A policeman at Central Police station is confessing to have killed 80 people since he joined a notorious hit squad whose existence police authorities, and even the Internal Security minister George Saitoti, insist does not exists. The policeman has on several occasions been overheard bragging in bars that he has met and even exceeded his target as a member of the squad which is responsible for felling some of the people police have on their Most Wanted List.

The trend of staying in a hotel to avoid pesky constituents who are always expecting a handout seems to be catching on. We are now told that an MP from Central has been booking himself into a suite of rooms at Oustpan Hotel in Nyeri whenever he travels to attend to issues in his constituency. After a flying visit to 'look at development' the man retreats to his suite, away from the reach of the hoi polloi and their incessant need for handouts!

A senior Cabinet minister met six councillors two weeks ago and pledged to give them Sh7 million to mobilise people to demonstrate against those trying to "distract" him in his 2012 plans. We are told the councillors have received the first instalment of Sh2.3 million and they are required to prove their worth before getting the rest of the money.

We are privy to the details of a meeting which resolved to "identify and ruthlessly" deal with people who testified against a senior Cabinet minister in connection with the post-election violence. We are informed that the high profile meeting held three weeks ago was funded by the senior Cabinet minister and attended by his close allies, who also asked the minister to extend to them "an opportunity to make money in government".

The maize shortage and the subsequent scam and the importation of fertiliser proved to be a cash cow for three companies whose proprietors and directors are now being asked to pay back the favour through contributions to a politician's mobilisation kitty.

We hear that writers at a vernacular radio station have ganged up against one of their bosses, who they believe has received preferential treatment from a Cabinet minister. The minister's handlers have now set aside close to Sh5 million to pacify the writers. The funds are reportedly coming from close to 15 parastatal heads, who are contribut¬ng Sh350,000 each for the 'project.'

We hear a prominent Cabinet minister from Rift Valley is contemplating starting a TV station and a vernacular radio station with its main office in Nairobi. We have been informed that the minister has twice been seen at Transnational Plaza along Mama Ngina Street surveying one of the floors being considered as a possible location for the new station.

The CEO of a local university has paid himself Sh2.3 million gratuity amid fears that he will soon be relieved of his responsibilities. We are told that the chief executive officer wants to get out as much of the money due to him as possible and before the university council meets to avoid any future litigation over the dues.

A media consultant was told to leave the studios of a local media house where he had accompanied a political personality who asked to give his opinion about the draft constitution. The media house chief was not amused by the consultant's audacity to presume he could appear in front of the cameras at the station. He asked the consultant to leave the premises and never to return to the station until he sorted out his financial obligations. The consultant had no choice but to leave the building and head to his car and speed off.

Some people who claim to be from a constituency in south Nyanza have been camping out at the gates of the National Assembly waiting to see their Member of Parliament. They said they had been on the streets for six days waiting to see the legislator who asked them to come to the city but can now not be reached on phone.

A prominent MP from Central Kenya is behaving badly. Corridors of Power has it that the legislator has been hiring and firing his assistants at will. The legislator is said to be giving no explanations when dismissing his hapless employees who leave without knowing the reasons of their dismissal. That the man has given his wife a free hand to harass, intimidate and even abuse the staff seconded to him has not helped matters.

A senior detective is among those being investigated in connection with the Sh24 million cash that went missing as G4S guards were loading ATMs at the Yaya Centre. The man reportedly pocketed a big chunk of the cash that was recovered when two suspects were stopped and held at a roadblock at Kikopey in Gilgil. The man reported that only a fraction of the cash was recovered and took the rest. Now a special team has been established to investigate the theft which has prompted a rethink in the manner in which cash is transported.

Residents of Mlolongo along Mombasa Road are angry with a certain Rift Valley MP who is said to have business interests in the area. The bone of contention is that the 'big man' has been making numerous visits to the area not only to supervise a building he and his cronies are putting up but also to "hunt" for beautiful girls and women. The MP is said to be using his bodyguards to threaten any of his 'prey' who reject or resist his advances.

Who is recruiting ghost workers at the office of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga? Corridors has gathered that a top civil servant in the human resource department has hired over 50 non-existent staff members, who are "paid for services they have not delivered". The matter has now caused concern and we hear key personalities involved want it addressed before Raila learns of it.

An MP from South Nyanza has fled his home. The legislator, who has said very little in Parliament since he was elected, has been sleeping in hotels to avoid meeting his constituents, who have been visiting his home to discuss matters affecting their constituency. The legislator is now running the constituency from hotels in Migori and Homa-Bay while constituents queue at his home.

Three MPs who had no money to take to the Mau funds drive borrowed Sh200,000 from a top Cabinet minister from North Rift promising to repay in a week's time. Before donating the funds, we are are told, the MPs made toxic statements. It's almost a week now and corridors will let you know whether they have paid the debt.

Corridors is aware of two lawyers who have Sh6 billion between them in their accounts. We hear the funds belong to a prominent Cabinet minister, who is accumulating the money as a war chest for elections. We are now told that the lawyers have invoked client confidentiality as the reason for failing to declare the source of funds and now sleuths are watching the movement of the funds with interest.

We told you yesterday of a Sh6 billion election warchest belonging to a Cabinet minister and held in trust by two lawyers. We have just learnt that the money is more than Sh6 billion. It is Sh 17 billion, generated mainly from corrupt dealings in the past few years and the owner has told those who care to listen that he is ready to do battle with anyone.

Former Baringo Central MP Gideon Moi wants the Waki Envelope made public. We are told by those in the know that the son of the former President is convinced that making the contents of the envelope public "will be enough to deal with some politicians who are making noise all over". He also wants Prime Minister Raila Odinga to let President Kibaki "carry his own cross" on the Mau issue otherwise "if the Kalenjins go, they go forever".

You must have heard by now talk of generational change. We are told the Uhuru Kenyatta-William Ruto axis is planning to make this its rallying point as it seeks to popularise the new alliance. We are told that people working for the two are designing a political strategy that will revolve around young people and why older politicians need to be kicked out.

A former senior official of the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry is battling with alcoholism. We are told the situation has become so bad that the once high-profile businessman has now been taken into rehab at Nairobi Hospital and there is a plan to fly him out of the country.

Were some MPs duped into giving money for the Mau evictees? MPs Ayiecho Olweny and Shakeel Shabir have told Corridors that they appended their names and signatures pledging contributions in good faith. But now that the issue has turned out to be a political contest between PM Raila and Agriculture Minister William Ruto the two are sparing no effort to clear their names. We are told the to MPs have been spending a lot of time in their constituencies explaining why they sent contributions to the Mau harambee.



This entry was posted in , . Bookmark the permalink.