[mgj-discuss] Kenyan MP wants to Censure the IMF and WB

[Morrigan Phillips]

Ok, just one more article for today.
Morrigan
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Plans to censure WB, IMF

Projects initiated by the two institutions have always flopped

By Times Team

MWEA Member of Parliament, Alfred Nderitu, says he will introduce a 
motion in Parliament to censure the Bretton Wood Institutions for 
scheming to cripple the Kenyan economy.

Speaking to Kenya Times yesterday, Nderitu singled out the World Bank 
as ?one of the most unreliable development partners in Kenya.?

He accused the WB for pushing Kenya to implement some policies that 
have no relevance to the country?s socio-political and economic spheres.

He cited the bank?s directive that the Government retrench civil 
servants in the 1990s and early 2000 as some of the unfavourable 
conditions to the country?s economy.

Nderitu said the project flopped because most civil servants who were 
retrenched and paid Sh40,000 in golden handshake were still fresh in 
their jobs and had hardly served a year in the civil service.

He said the WB had promised to avail Sh200,000 for each retrenchee, yet 
this was never honoured. He said freezing recruitment of teachers, 
doctors and nurses has also impacted negatively on the provision of 
essential services.

He said most schools and hospitals in the country are faced with acute 
shortage of staff translating to skewed student teacher ratio as well 
as deaths in our hospitals.

Nderitu said it is common knowledge that the Narc Government did not 
ask for funds from the WB noting that Kenya has been drawing its 
national budgets without factoring in external funds.

At the weekend, the country?s WB director, Dr Colins Bruce said the 
institution would withhold Sh19 billion to Kenya ?owing to the 
government?s dragging of feet in economic reforms.?

Nderitu said Kenya?s domestic debts currently stands at Sh700,000 
billion. The debt has accumulated ever since Kenya gained independence.

He said any future borrowing from the institutions would be endorsed by 
Parliament after a comprehensive project proposal seeking funds has 
been tabled and discussed in the House to check corruption in the 
projects.

Elsewhere the National council of women of Kenya (NCWK) has called upon 
the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to continue 
withholding donor funding until the government shows commitment to 
eradicate corruption and uphold freedom of press.

The NCWK Rift Valley chapter chairperson, Ms Jennifer Masis, said the 
World Bank acted right by suspending Sh19 billion to the Kenyan 
government for failure to deal with rampant corruption.

Masis also said the withholding of Sh23.5 billion by the IMF should be 
upheld until the government streamlined its approach on transparency 
and accountability in the handling of donor funds.

Speaking to reporters in Eldoret yesterday, Masis said the donor aid 
should be suspended until corruption cases such as the Anglo Leasing 
are addressed.

-- 
In solidarity

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