Kagwe is a victim of Tangatanga politics, say women leaders

 

Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organisation leaders from Mt Kenya region have defended Health CS Mutahi Kagwe over the alleged procurement scandal at Kemsa, terming his resignation calls 'political'.

Led by national vice chairperson Purity Ngunjiri, the leaders who spoke to journalists in Nyeri town on Thursday, urged Kenyans to give investigators time to probe the matter.

The president has directed that the matter be investigated within 21 days.

Without mentioning names, the women leaders said what is happening in the country is bad politics being driven by those opposed to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s development agenda.

They said Kagwe could be targeted by the Tangatanga wing, which has been opposing and politicising everything by the president, including the Building Bridges Initiative and the handshake.

 “So we are requesting those politicising the whole issue to wait for 21 days as directed by the president and after that if he is found to have been involved in corrupt dealings, the president should tell him to step down,” they said.

The women leaders said 'those fighting Kagwe' think he may use his track record in the Ministry of Health to build himself politically.

The women said Kagwe has a clean past record in all the capacities he has served the country.

After leaving the corporate world, Kagwe served as MP for Mukurwe-ini, Nyeri senator and Minister for Communication in former President Mwai Kibaki’s regime.

 “He has worked effectively as CS for Health and has managed to bring down the number of Covid-19 infections and given Kenyans confidence that the disease can be eradicated,” they said in a statement.

Nyeri county chairperson Jane Wanjiku said this is not the first public office Kagwe is holding and he has had no record of corruption.

Wachuka Gachebe, the treasurer, said the Health ministry is a sensitive docket, especially at a time like this when Covid-19 is wreaking havoc across the world.