Didmus Barasa, the Member of Parliament for Kimilili, has publicly responded following a summons from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) regarding allegations of accepting a bribe amounting to Ksh 2 million in exchange for influencing a government tender.
The EACC has called upon the legislator to clarify the accusations of defrauding a businesswoman of this significant sum, with the promise of securing favorable government contracts for her.
Barasa is expected to appear before the commission on Tuesday, August 27.
The EACC noted that the MP ceased communication with the unnamed businesswoman in December 2023 and has since evaded efforts to contact him.
Furthermore, the commission indicated that Barasa did not attend a prior summons on August 14, 2024, to provide a statement regarding the allegations.
“The commission invited you for an interview and statement recording at Integrity Centre Nairobi on August 14, 2024; however, you did not attend,” read the letter in part.
The funds in question were deposited into Barasa’s bank account on December 13, 2023.
However, the situation deteriorated rapidly as the lawmaker allegedly became unresponsive.
The businesswoman, who was pursuing a road construction tender, later discovered that no such tender had been advertised as promised.
Realizing that she had been deceived, the businesswoman lodged a complaint with the EACC, which resulted in the summons.
The beleaguered lawmaker has since addressed the summons, refuting the claims of misappropriating funds to sway government contracts.
Barasa asserted that the money he received from the businessman was a soft loan from a fellow politician.
The legislator contended that the EACC was exceeding its authority, as the issue is of a civil nature, and stated that he would not appear in person at their offices but would instead send his legal representatives.
“The deposit of Ksh 2,000,000 into my Cooperative Bank account was a soft loan from the politician who contested for governor
“The documents clearly indicate this loan, and any disputes regarding contractual conditions are irrelevant to the commission,” he stated.
