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Githongo and Ndii snub State House invite and Uhuru is not happy


President Uhuru Kenyatta on Tuesday lashed out at former anti-corruption czar John Githongo for failing to honour an invite to State House’s accountability summit.

The invitation was extended to the whistle blower in the wake of his recent comments that characterised the Jubilee government as most corrupt regime in post-colonial Kenya.

WHY DIDN’T HE COME

The President, who appeared distraught during his address at the summit, said; “I’m disappointed that my friend Githongo who is always challenging me out there, why didn’t he come to raise those issues that he raises elsewhere…raise those issues here? It is in every Kenyan’s interest for us to make progress…for us to find solutions.”

State House spokesman Manoah Esipisu had on Monday indicated that anti-graft crusaders John Githongo and David Ndii were among those invited for the summit.

Other government officials who spoke at summit also weighed in, with pointed criticisms towards Mr Githongo and Saturday Nation columnist David Ndii, who have separately been critical of corruption in President Kenyatta’s government.

PROVIDE EVIDENCE

Majority leader Aden Duale challenged Mr Githongo to provide evidence stating, “When Githongo says this is the most corrupt government, he must provide evidence.”

Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich said, “Mr Ndii did not show up because he would not have been able to substantiate claims he made that Eurobond money had been stolen.”

He added that not a single shilling of the money was lost and there is documentation to prove the same.

Mr Ndii, an economist, has in his bi-weekly articles insisted that the Sh120 billion Eurobond money was lost.

Mr Githongo had last week in an interview on NTV blamed President Kenyatta for the corruption in government, saying the head of state had not provided the goodwill to fight corruption.

Kenyans on Twitter who noted the absence of both Mr Ndii and Mr Githongo expressed their mixed reactions to the no-show.