By Joshua Khisa

Azimio leader Raila Odingas has issued a series of demands he wants the Kenya Kwanza administration to meet in regard to the controversial Government-to-Government MoU that Kenya signed with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

President Ruto announced the MoU in April that had seen the two nations be the sole suppliers of oil to Kenya on favourable terms.

However, according to Raila, the deal was only meant to shield three Kenyan companies from paying a 30 per cent corporate tax.

The opposition leader further pointed out that contrary to what was expected as a result of the now questionable deal, the cost of oil has not come down, and the shilling has continued to fall against the dollar.

With the current situation likely to persist, the former Prime Minister has now called for the cancellation of the contract and the purchase of oil reverted back to the Open Tender System “which ensured guaranteed supply of petroleum products”.

“The open system was efficient, accountable and competitive and offered prices commensurate with the international pricing model,” the Azimio leader said in a statement on Thursday.

Further, Raila has asked the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to move in and get to the bottom of how and why the government got into the deal and the beneficiaries.

Another demand the opposition leader has made is the surcharging of the men and women who came up with the deal he describes as ‘self-serving’.

“The government must restore taxes to 8 per cent from the 16 per cent that came with the Finance Act,” Raila said in the statement.

He has also demanded that the “so-called MoU between Kenya and Saudi Arabia and the UAE” be made public as well as the Ministry of Energy making public the deal it signed with the oil companies.

The Azimio leader further wants the Ministry to make public the Supplier Purchase Agreement that was signed with the oil companies.

“EACC and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations must investigate the tax compliance status and pricing model of the three oil companies,” Raila said.

In addition, he wants the Kenya Revenue Authority to come clean on the tax compliance status of the said oil companies and explain why they are being enabled to evade billions in taxes.

The ODM leader also demanded a comprehensive brief on what the move by Uganda to get most of its petroleum needs through Tanzania means to Kenya, “especially the future of the Kenya Pipeline Company.”