Editor's Review

Sifuna maintained that Kenyans want transparency and value for their money.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has maintained that he would not stop demanding accountability and transparency for all development projects in the country.

Speaking in the Senate on Wednesday, September 23, Sifuna declared that naming the Talanta Stadium after the late Raila Odinga will not save the government from scrutiny from him, or any other leaders who believe in value for money.

He insisted that every government project has to be undertaken within the confines of Kenya's Constitution.

"They keep telling us about these shiny things. For Talanta Stadium, we started with a figure of Ksh20 billion. It moved to Ksh35 billion, then to Ksh45 billion; an unexplained variance of Ksh10 billion  according to our Auditor General.

"Look at its procurement process, they want us to forget those things by slapping Raila Odinga's name on it so that we dont ask questions. That is not what he taught us. We want transparency and value for money," Sifuna stated.

A file photo of Senator Edwin Sifuna.


The Nairobi Senator argued that if the process was transparent, Kenyans could have probably received more 'shiny things' for the same value.

He reiterated that he is not against the development, as long as it is done lawfully. Sifuna maintained that the country needs a President who will abide by his oath of office.

"I want to make it clear that nobody is against development; we want people to understand that the values in our Constitution cannot be ceded just because you want to put up a stadium. When we talk about these values, some people tell us that we have no plan or ideas," he added.

Sifuna laughed at his colleague, Elgeyo Marakwet's William Kisang, over his question to Sports Cabinet Secretary Salim Mvurya, where he asked for an update on the construction of  Kamariny Stadium.

"I was laughing at my brother Senator Kisang when he brought up the issue of Kamariny Stadium. He has forgotten that his party leader promised us in 2017 0e 2018 that the stadium would be complete in six months," he chided.

The vocal Senator has been engaged in an exchange of words with President William Ruto. He has repeatedly questioned Ruto's priorities when choosing projects to embark on.

Sifuna has openly stated that the Affordable Housing project would fall second to more urgent issues like health, security, and economic empowerment of Kenyans.