Public waits for answers to scandals whose reports are still kept secret

The civil society wants the Government to reveal the outcome of investigations into the scandals that rocked the grand coalition government last year.

The scandals led to the resignation of a Cabinet minister and a high ranking official of the Central Bank of Kenya. At one time, differences of opinion over the scandals appeared to tear the coalition government right down the middle.

Following public outcry, President Kibaki appointed a commission of inquiry into one of the scandals. The outcome of that investigation is yet to be made public, like so many others before it.

And by simply keeping silent on other scandals, the Government has let them peter out without offering any explanations to the public.

Waiting for answers

“We ought to remind the Government in stark terms that we are still waiting for answers into some of these scandals,” said Mr Omar Hassan, vice-chairman of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

He added: “The Government usually keeps quiet in the hope that these scandals will be forgotten. But let’s show it that it won’t be the same in 2009.”

He urged the public not to get tired of demanding credible answers from the Government over scandals.

Seasoned lawyer and former Kabete MP Paul Muite said the silence amounted to misuse of power, incompetence, impunity and corruption by Government.

“The public has every right to know the outcomes of every investigation into the scandals - its the public that goes at a loss,” he said.

As a sign of its commitment to fighting corruption in the new year, Mr Muite challenged the Government to make public reports of previous commissions of inquiry, and act upon them.
The first scandal to hit the fledgling grand coalition was over the controversial sale of the five-star Grand Regency Hotel, now Laico Regency.

The hotel, formerly owned by the controversial Goldenberg architect Kamlesh Pattni, is said to have been sold at far below its market price through underhand deals.

It was sold to Libyans, trading under the name of Libyan Arab Investment Company, for Sh2.9 billion. The market price of the hotel is said to be Sh7 billion.

Lands minister James Orengo blew the whistle over the sale of the hotel in June. He said the deal was corrupt since the Cabinet had not been made aware of the sale.

He also queried the manner in which the transfer of the hotel’s title deed was done without his knowledge. The sale is said to have been concluded during a State visit by President Kibaki to Libya in 2006.

Finance minister Amos Kimunya, who was handling the transaction, was put on the spot after initially denying that the hotel had been sold. He was eventually forced to step aside after Parliament passed a vote of no-confidence in him.

President Kibaki then appointed a commission of inquiry, headed by retired Justice Majjid Cockar to look in to the sale of the hotel. The report was handed to the President in November, but has not been made public.

As the Grand Regency saga was raging, Immigration minister Otieno Kajwang’ was put on the spot over the issuing of work permits to foreigners of questionable backgrounds and qualifications.