Mr. Githuku wa Muirani, the Chairman of the Kashito Committee and Chairman of United for Humanitarian Cause (UNHC) which fundraised during the post election crisis, has said that there is nothing fishy about cash that was raised to help post election victims in Kenya.
Speaking to KSB, Mr. Muirani said that the funds were sent to the Catholic Secretariat in Nairobi and that all accountability had been done and the matter closed by the Committee whose members were shown all relevant documents.
“This case is not pending but was closed long time ago”, he told KSB on telephone. He said that those still asking questions should take contact with him for further clarification, adding that the sending of funds to Kenya was a transparent operation.
Asked why the funds were never channeled through International Red Cross as had been decided, Mr. Muirani said that the matter was re-discussed by the Committee which agreed that funds would be sent directly to Nairobi.
He said that funds were channeled through the Catholic Secretariat in Nairobi (not Naivasha as had been reported by KSB) because majority of Bagarmossen Church members were non Catholics and if funds were sent to the Church there would be no charges of partiality.
Further, Mr. Muirani said the Catholic Secretariat in Nairobi had been chosen after the Naivasha option was dropped due to fears that majority of those who were affected by the post election violence in Naivasha were members of the Kikuyu ethnic group and if funds were sent to Naivasha, the move could have led to the thinking that only the Kikuyu were being helped by UNCH.
“The Catholic Secretariat in Nairobi is central and the view of the Committee was that once the funds were dispatched to the Secretariat, it would be disbursed nationally”, Mr. Muirani said.
The UNCH Chairman said that those still harping on the issue are living in the past and using non issues to create controversy for no reason. He appealed for peace and harmony among Kenyans in Stockholm, saying that the community is undergoing a difficult time which needs understanding.
He clarified that UNCH Committee has not yet been dissolved because members of the organization had not decided that the group be disbanded.
Mr. Muirani however steered clear from the Kashito issue. Asked whether it was true that cash had come from a Hotel where Kashito was working, Mr. Muirani said that he would rather not comment on the issue until a Committee meeting is called to discuss a collective response.
He admitted that the Kashito Committee has not yet been dissolved but added that when that time comes, all Committee members will be invited so that the Kashito issue can be discussed and closed once and for all.
Okoth Osewe
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