Kiunjuri hands dossier on Water ministry to Kacc

Public Works assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri said he has forwarded evidence on impropriety at the Water Ministry to the Kenya's graft watchdog and the relevant Parliamentary Committee November 2, 2010. FILE

Public Works assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri said he has forwarded evidence on impropriety at the Water Ministry to the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (Kacc) and the relevant Parliamentary Committee.

Mr Kiunjuri, formerly the Water and Irrigation assistant minister, stood by his stand, first expressed last Friday, that there are issues at the Ministry that require investigation as they point at possible corruption.

“Kenyans would be surprised at the rip-off in parastatals and government agencies,” said Mr Kiunjuri on Tuesday.

He said the cost of supplies to most parastatals are inflated by up to 328 per cent.

“In the next two to three  months, these cases will be determined, and then we’ll have the chance to know who was speaking the truth,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

The documents include a report of the Water Services Regulatory Board, procurement documents on goods supplied to the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation, which he said had been inflated.

The remarks by Mr Kiunjuri have prompted a storm within government, with Prime Minister Raila Odinga saying over the weekend he would defend minister Charity Ngilu.

He has since sought to correct the impression created.

Mr Kiunjuri described as “rather curious that the assurance should come from the office charged with ensuring there is proper functioning in government”.

He also doubted the ability of the Efficiency Monitoring Unit and the Inspectorate of State Corporations, both under the PM’s office, to conduct an independent investigation. 

He added that the issues he had raised were related to the Ministry, and not Mrs Ngilu per se, but would leave them to be investigated by the government agencies.

“There’s nothing about the distribution of water,” said Mr Kiunjuri.

He said he had initially reported the improprieties while still an assistant minister at the Water ministry and has since linked his transfer to Public Works on horse-trading.

On Monday, Mrs Ngilu defended her decision to sink boreholes in Ukambani as she addressed 100 staff of the National Water Conservation and Pipeline Authority.

“I want to state here very clearly: If I will lose my job because I’ve given to people who deserve water so much, so be it. I’ll be ready to do so.

“I am doing justice to a community that has suffered for many years, and I will not shy away that I come from that community.”

Mrs Ngilu received support from Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who yesterday released a statement saying: “This is the first time since independence that there has been a really serious attempt to address the water problem in Ukambani in a fashion that comes close to affirmative action.”

Mr Odinga said there was no corruption case pending against Mrs Ngilu.

“I will expect not only the Prime Minister to defend me, but even the President to defend me, and Kenyans to defend me,” Mrs Ngilu said.

She spoke at a function where equipment worth Sh33 million that had been stolen by workers was returned to the corporation.

Among the items returned was a Sh30 million grader, which disappeared in 2006 and was recovered in Ethiopia.

Water permanent secretary David Stower said steps had been taken to end corruption, including sacking corrupt employees.