Transport Cabinet Secretary (CS) James Macharia’s time seems to be running out, his case as an incompetent tumbocrat has been on the minds and hearts of Kenyans for quite some time.
Yesterday, the anger over this very corrupt CS boiled over to a Twitter hashtag (#ImpeachJamesMacharia) where Kenyans shared his past graft deals, and asking for parliament to impeach him.
There are reports that Nyali MP Mohamed Ali is collecting signatures to enable the Nationa Assembly to impeach the bandit CS James Macharia.
Macharia who oversaw billions of money stolen under his watch at the Health Ministry transported his sticky fingers to the Transport docket where his projects such as Bus Rapid Transit system among others have failed,
What has not failed is his and his cronies pockets getting fat.
During his time as head of the health ministry, the CS was involved in the Ksh5.3 billion “Mafya” House scandal. The deals were won by proxy firms owned by him and his longtime girlfriend and Personal Assistant Irene Nanayu.
Their relatives benefitted from this tenders. In short, they overpriced items and Sh5.3 billion was unaccounted for.
Macharia’s Personal Assistant Irene Nanayu is a sister to Naomi Wanjiku Mirithu, a co-director of Medafrica Limited, one of the firms at the heart of the “Mafya House” storm. Wanjiku’s Medafrica co-director Njage Makaga also owns the controversial Estama Investment Limited that pocketed a staggering Sh800 million to supply 100 portable clinics.
From online sources (much have been written about it, no one has disputed it), one can establish that Njange is a close associate of the Minister’s PA and the rigging of the tendering process was meticulously executed.
In fact, it is believed Nanayu has considerable stakes in the firms and only used her sister to conceal her involvement.
That time pressure mounted on Macharia and Health Principal Secretary Nicholas Muraguri to take political responsibility, although the dirty tricks of Nanayu had not been exposed.
Transport Ministry
At the Transport ministry, despite CS Macharia being in charge of a department that receives the largest allocation of the budget, CS Macharia has no tangible results to show where the money goes.
Apart from the BRT tender which was single-sourced and overpriced, Macharia entered into a contract with spain where he sought to import dilapidated and outdated train engines at very exorbitant costs. The sh10 billion (Sh1.2 billion for the train engines) plan ‘to improve commuting in Nairobi’, was defended by Kenya Railways Corporation (KRC).
Through a statement in the local dailies, in Mach 2020, KRC rubbished claims there are vested interests in the deal between the Ministry of Transport and Spain which gave Serveis Ferroviaris de Mallorca a contract to facilitate the purchase of the trains.
It is the plain truth that nothing tangible has ever been done by James Macharia
In the BRT system, the govt plans to spend Sh100 billion. To put it in perspective, Thika road was built for only sh30 billion. This is an open rip off.
In the years he’s been in government, Macharia has stayed on because of their close ties with the president. Macharia was poached from NIC bank, a bank which joined with Kenyatta-family-owned Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) to form NCBA.
All these explain why Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission investigations into Macharia’s graft hit dead ends.
In the suffering of Standard Gauge Railways (SGR) staff, CS Macharia stood with the Chinese management continued oppression of fellow Kenyans.
In the flights into Kenya by the China Southern Airlines, even in times when the Covid-19 had already been declared a pandemic, the CS stood with Chinese and called a Kenyan, Ali Gire, who blew the whistle on continued flights into Kenya a terrorist.
Here is what was shared on the hashtag #ImpeachJamesMacharia
CS Macharia is an epitome of incompetence. His ministry enriches Kikuyu kleptocrats like the Kenyatta family. It's more less the same as Energy & Lands for Ruto. CS Kagwe is also protecting Kenyattas. The Health CS Mutahi Kagwe can't explain spending in MOH #ImpeachJamesMacharia pic.twitter.com/0v5sxjsfWb
— Abuga Makori EGH, MBE (@abuga_makori) June 7, 2020
Kenya signed a secret agreement with the Chinese allowing a mystery company with unknown local shareholders to run the Standard Gauge Railway, In my opinion SGR is owned by some local Kenya billionares, who wanted to take over the coast cargo busines #ImpeachJamesMacharia Joho pic.twitter.com/SxKPnqYyui
— Phefumula (@Shadrack_NBSO) June 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/DamarisMabeya/status/1269624315273715714?s=20
The President said he wants to Leave a legacy & be remembered for various things. He said he won't even receive calls from friends when DCI comes for them to Help. CS James Macharia is one of those friends. If he cares about Kenya, He should Sack him. Bye.🙄 #ImpeachJamesMacharia
— BRAVIN YURI (@BravinYuri) June 7, 2020
