Government Spokesperson Kiraithe Fires Stern Warning at Duale

Government spokesperson Eric Kiraithe on fired a terse warning to politicians against fanning views that could jeopardize the ongoing war against contraband goods in the country.

The tough talk by Mr Kiraithe comes a day after National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale claimed in parliament that he knows the high placed individuals who have been in the business of contraband products.

Mr Kiraithe’s warning, comes even as the government stirs up the ongoing efforts to clamp down illegal imports as heat turn to the Interior CS Dr Fred Matiangi’ to reveal the identities of the dealers.

“Any political opinion that suggests that you have gone for criminal A but we think you should have gone for criminal B and C is diversionary, useless and a wasted effort.

“If there are politicians who know criminals who ought to have been targeted, they should know that going to public channels and trying to seek sympathy by protecting what they think are their constituencies are not useful,” Mr Kiraithe told a press briefing in Mombasa.

On Tuesday, Mr Duale also claimed that unscrupulous sugar barons were being protected and that several companies have been given the duty-free status.

The Garissa Town MP criticized Matiang’i’s war on contraband, saying authorities were turning the blind eye on the “real culprits”.

He claimed he had reliable information that the person behind the imports is also involved in the illegal logging that is wiping out forests.

“The culprit is walking free in this town. We want to know who is protecting him. The same guy is the biggest logger in our country,” he said on Tuesday.

While threatening to name members of the “untouchable cartels”, Duale said it is unfortunate that the crackdown is focused on “chicken thieves and watchmen while real culprits catwalk around”.

“Mr Speaker, I hope the Interior CS is watching me. The problem in this country is that people look for chicken thieves and watchmen. We are being taken round [in circles]. One million bags of the contraband sugar are lying at a warehouse in Nakuru while thousands others are at go downs in Nairobi and Mombasa,” he said.