[Opposition leader Raila Odinga alongside leaders from the Coastal region addressing the press March 26, 2017. Photo/rao.co.ke]
President Uhuru Kenyatta is on spot, over Sh28 billion loan from the government of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has demanded that the president explains to Kenyans how the monies were used, after the Kenyan government borrowed the money, for the development of the Port of Mombasa.
Raila said it also included ''what the agreement called “enhancing operational and business efficiencies within the Second Container Terminal” in addition to the development of Kipevu Oil Terminal.''
''On the 26th of October 2016, the Government of the Republic of Kenya signed a bilateral cooperation agreement with the Government of the United Arab Emirates. In that agreement, the government of the United Arab Emirates agreed to lend to the Government of Kenya a concessional loan to the tune of approximately 275 million US dollars (about KSH28 billion).''
Raila said a whiff of corruption hanged all over 'this so-called loan' as it left more questions than answers.
''We are here to seek very specific answers from none other than the President of the Republic of Kenya Mr. Uhuru Kenyatta. First, this so-called loan looks more like a bribe to senior persons in government than a loan.'' Speaking in Mombasa, Sunday, Raila noted: "It has been given on condition that the government of the United Arab Emirates will appoint an agent to operate, manage and undertake the expansion of the Second Container Terminal of the Port of Mombasa. UAE went ahead to appoint Dubai Port World (DP World) to manage the facility.'' ''It would appear the UAE did not win but purchased the management of our second container terminal at a cost of 275 million US dollars. Dubai Port, which has been given the contract to manage the second container terminal in Mombasa, was defeated by about 12 other port operators which expressed interest in managing the second terminal,'' he added. All these international port operators, from countries with mega port operations like China, Japan, Singapore, and the Netherlands, Raila said, participated in the tender and emerged on top of the defeated Dubai Port. ''Can President Uhuru Kenyatta prove to Kenyans that the so-called loan from the United Arab Emirates was not a bribe to sway the contract in favour of Dubai? Can the President explain to Kenyans how he ended up giving the job to Dubai instead of any of the more than ten firms that came top? What was the purpose of the tender when the job ended up being given to a defeated bidder?'' he added.