Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri is walking tightrope after it emerged that the ministry had withdrawn Sh1.8 billion from Strategic Food Reserve Trust Fund ahead of the importation of maize.
Leaders from maize-growing areas continue to mount pressure on the CS quit with immediate effect.
Six Members of Parliament have now claimed that the CS and his team secretly withdrew the said amount with getting the approval from the board.
The lawmakers want Kiunjiri investigated over the move as soon as possible. He lawmakers are Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Silas Tiren (Moiben), Caleb Amisi (Saboti), Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Robert Pukose (Endebes) and Marwa Maisuri (Kuria East).
The legislators have now urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions to launch an investigation into the alleged scandal.
The leaders have insisted that the CS has proven beyond doubt that he is not ready to deliver on the promises President Uhuru Kenyatta made to the farmers when he was seeking re-election.
“The Director of Criminal Investigations and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission should immediately launch investigations into the payments. Why such payments, which in our opinion were designed to defraud the taxpayers and hurt farmers, were made without the knowledge of SFRTF board,” said Mr Kutuny, as quoted by Daily Nation.
The lawmakers presented a letter from the Noah Wekesa, who chairs the Strategic Food Reserve Board showing the irregularities in payment.
On his part, the CS has claimed that the funds were used to clear some Bills within parliament. The lawmakers are, however, not ready to buy the whole idea.