West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo has come out guns blazing rubbishing his involvement in graft in the oil deal in Turkana County. The County boss has accused a section of the media for defaming him without checking for true facts.
According to a 28th February publication in one of the dailies, detectives were probing a string of shadowy transactions by Turkana Governor Josphat Nanok, West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo, Ikolomani MP Ben Shinali and Tai Enterprises Ltd—a construction company that has bagged hundreds of government tenders.
Anti-graft detectives are trying to uncover why Tai Enterprises sent Kshs 45 million it received from Turkana County to Governor Nanok, who then allegedly shared it with Governor Lonyangapuo, MP Shinali and an individual identified as Isaac Makimei Gitau.
It’s is alleged that Nanok wired to the three parties more than double the Kshs 45 million he got from Counties.
Mr. Gitau is said to be the biggest beneficiary as he received Kshs 40 million. Mr. Shinali and Mr. Lonyangapuo received Kshs 27.3 million and Kshs 11.25 million respectively.
Speaking at Makutano township after reopening the Makutano stage and commercial stalls, Governor Lonyangapuo who defended himself over the oil saga said that he sold his 50 acres Bwayi farm land to Turkana County Governor Mr. Josphat Nanok and it has nothing to do with the oil saga.
“I sold the land while still in the Senate, I have my witness and my lawyer Mr. Onyanja was present. I had bought the land in 2004 from Chelokoi,” he said, “My lawyers have written to Nation Media Group to explain where they got this information from,” he said.
Lonyangapuo said the allegations were politically instigated because of his absence in some BBI rallies in country citing that he is ready to tackle it and he will not fear.
He added that he has called all Pokot leaders from West Pokot County, Uganda and Tiaty to discuss issues of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) on Friday at Kishaunet showground before the Nakuru BBI meeting.
He said that the leaders will discuss all the historical injustices done on the community from 1900. “We need all files and documents to get information and present the community’s views to the BBI committee.