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Kibaki threatens to sack his ministers
President Kibaki on Thursday read the riot act to four Cabinet ministers over disunity in government and the maize and oil scandals which have rocked the Grand Coalition Government.
He threatened to sack Cabinet ministers who quarrel in public and those who were unable to handle critical issues in their dockets.
Forestry and Wildlife minister Noah Wekesa came under sharp criticism for his Wednesday attack on Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the saga involving a second grain handling facility at the Mombasa port, oil and maize scandals.
Dr Wekesa later sent a note of apology to Mr Odinga expressing regret that he had discussed the issues in the media “without first examining the implications”.
“In view of collective responsibility that my office requires of me, I should not have associated myself with this party sentiments and I once again apologise and promise to work closely with you to uplift the image of Government,” the minister said in a letter addressed to Mr Odinga.
Dr Wekesa, one of the vice-chairmen of the Party of National Unity, had criticised Mr Odinga over the current maize shortage asking him to tell Kenyans what he has done to prevent the crisis as chairman of the Cabinet sub-committee on food security.
“The Rt honourable Prime Minister chairs the sub-committee on food security. Can he explain to Kenyans what action he has taken on the crisis or else we hold him culpable for neglecting duty and therefore failed the country,” Dr Wekesa said in a statement issued at a Nairobi hotel.
Lands minister James Orengo got a dressing down for statements he made in public regarding some Cabinet colleagues, which were interpreted as a breach of the government’s collective responsibility.
On the other hand Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi and his Agriculture counterpart, Mr William Ruto, were put on the spot for their handling of the recent oil shortage, the Triton scandal and mismanagement of the sale of maize from the National Cereals Board to millers.
The tough stand was uncharacteristic of President Kibaki as the Cabinet held its first meeting this year. Sources familiar with the proceedings described some of the session as “hot”.
Later in the afternoon, Mr Murungi and Mr Ruto faced a barrage of questions in Parliament as they tried to explain to MPs goings on in the oil industry and the maize sub-sector.
Triton Petroleum Company is accused of selling fuel worth Sh7.6 billion without the knowledge of international and local financiers who had invested in oil stocks held in their trust by the Kenya Pipeline Company.
The stocks, amounting to 126 million litres, were released to Triton, which is owned by Mr Yagnesh Devani, between November 2007 and November 2008 without the financiers’ consent.
The maize scandal revolves around the allocation of government stocks to brokers who posed as millers at a price of Sh1,750. They later sold the same maize to millers at Sh2,600. This has been said to be the reason behind the sudden increase in the price of a two kilogramme packet of maize flour from Sh55 to Sh130 in December.
The matter is being investigated by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) and the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
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So much talking and less action Kibaki . I guess we have to wait and see if he really care about common Kenyan
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If we were to get rid of all those in this Govt that have "mishandled their dockets" or been involved in corrupot practice of one sort or another we wouldn't have much of a Govt left now would we? It seems the President is more upset that dissent and incompetance become public rather than that they are commonplace. It would further seem that bnoth Parties have been as bad/corrupt and incompetant as each other over this last year. God deliver poor old Kenya from them all frankly.......
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kibaki only threatens.how can he bite his own hand?he is the most corrupt person in kenya and he happens to be president as illegally as it is.The whole goverment should resign. They have failed kenyans and are only interested in taking part in corruption and not fighting it.
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