Former Kamukunji MP’s plea to Uhuru
A close ally of President Uhuru Kenyatta has sensationally claimed he stepped down for Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan during TNA primaries last year after he was promised a lucrative government job.
“When I vied for Kamukunji I was asked by the TNA party leader to step down for the sake of tribal balance, because the TNA certificate had been given to members of only one tribe in almost all constituencies in Nairobi,” Mr Simon Mbugua said on Tuesday. “I agreed for the party to be seen to be democratic and national. We had to let Hassan who had been injured at that time to take the seat.”
Mr Mbugua told NairobiNews Mr Kenyatta used to say there were many jobs in government.
“There is no way you can be told ‘step-down’ and there is nothing that you are going to be given,” he said although he also admits that he agreed to the request “for the love of the party.”
However, Mr Hassan dismissed the claims, saying he defeated Mr Mbugua during the TNA nominations.
“Proper nominations were conducted by TNA. I got more than 5,000 votes and Mr Mbugua got slightly over 700. There was nothing like stepping down for anyone,” the MP said.
TNA chairman Johnson Sakaja and secretary-general Onyango Oloo could not be reached for comment by the time we went to press.
Mr Mbugua said he joined the TNA campaign team and played a role in ensuring Jubilee won the election.
He also disclosed for the first time how a mountain of debts almost bankrupted him when was elected to Parliament for the first time in 2008.
“What happened is that I had debts just before I got into Parliament. I was taken to court and was charged with obtaining money from people, which was not true (credit sarah). I just had debts, which I paid when I got into Parliament,” he said.
Mr Mbugua was in 2008 charged with using forged documents to operate Lang’ata Road Motors Ltd and for fraudulently obtaining money from a director of Gikai Investments Ltd.
The former MP, however, protested his innocence, saying he had closed the showroom in 2010 following an investigative story by NTV that claimed the company was swindling car buyers.
He said he has since ventured into real estate, building houses for sale in Kitengela. He is also pursuing a business degree at the Kenya Methodist University, where he is in the same class with Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko.
“Sonko is an A student, contrary to what many people think. He is a very bright man, we will graduate together early next year,” said Mr Mbugua.