15 ministers have resisted calls to quit

At least 15 ministers, including Attorney- General Amos Wako, have come under pressure to resign.

Trade minister Amos Kimunya, then Finance minister, became the first casualty of quit calls in the coalition government over the selling off of the Grand Regency Hotel (now Laico Regency).

Mr Kimunya stuck to his guns, vowing not to resign even after he was censured by Parliament. But with mounting public pressure, the Kipipiri MP eventually quit the Cabinet. After a few months in the cold, Mr Kimunya made his way back as Trade minister.

The report from the commission of inquiry that investigated the Grand Regency affair termed the Sh2.5 billion sale of the hotel as “secret and hasty.” President Kibaki has yet to make the report public.

Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta also came under pressure to resign after the discovery of a Sh10.7 billion “typing error” in last year’s Supplementary Budget. MPs threatened to censure him, but the minister stayed put.

Parliament’s finance, trade and planning committee ordered him to reprint the budget.

Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi has also come under fire in the past over the Sh7.6 billion Triton scandal. The minister denied any involvement in the fraudulent deals which saw payments for non-existent oil supplies and alluded to a witch-hunt by his detractors. Mr Murungi got the backing of Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who blamed the scam on a fugitive businessman.

The Energy minister has resigned from government before over the Anglo-Leasing scandal after being implicated by former Ethics permanent secretary John Githongo.

A voice recording of the minister in which Mr Murungi allegedly asked the PS to “go slow” on the investigations was aired on the BBC.

Agriculture minister William Ruto survived a censure motion in Parliament by Ikolomani MP Boni Khalwale over a Sh825 million maize scandal at the National Cereals and Produce Board.

Questions have also been raised about fertiliser imports, but the minister has pleaded innocence.

An external audit report on the imports is still with the Prime Minister, who promised on Friday to follow up on its recommendations.

Recently, Internal Security minister George Saitoti was asked by the Prime Minister to explain how the bullets recovered in Narok found their way inside Mr Munir’s house and how they left the factory in Eldoret.

But First Lady Lucy Kibaki did not mince words about how she felt Prof Saitoti has been discharging his duties at the crucial docket. She told him to resign for allegedly failing to protect the victims of the Sachang’wan oil tanker fire.

President Kibaki, however, stood by Prof Saitoti. who remains in his post despite rising insecurity.