Kiunjuri recalled over dams scam statement

Works assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri on Thursday gave additional information to Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission detectives over the dam scandals at the Water ministry.

Mr Kiunjuri was questioned at Integrity House on funds to build more than 15 dams in arid areas. The anti-graft agency had summoned him on Wednesday.

“I went there to confirm my statement relating to the corruption at the Ministry of Water,” the assistant minister said.

The parliamentary Committee on Lands and Natural Resources chaired by Gachoka MP Mutava Musyimi is also investigating the dams scandal.

Mr Kiunjuri has accused minister Charity Ngilu of being behind the scandal, which she has denied. (READ: Kiunjuri hands dossier on Water ministry to Kacc)

On Thursday, Mr Kiunjuri said the commission seemed close to concluding the investigations.

KACC is investigating scandals in government involving ministers Ngilu, Naomi Shaban (Gender), Moses Wetang’ula (former Foreign Affairs) and Otieno Kajwang’ (Immigration).

Anti-graft boss Patrick Lumumba is expected to forward the files on the ministers to Attorney General Wako for possible prosecution.

Mrs Ngilu has said that she declined to pay the funds because the contractors of Umaa Dam in Ukambani, who she said were friends of Mr Kiunjuri, had inflated the costs.

On Tuesday, committee members told Mr Kiunjuri that only Umaa Dam seemed to have spent funds without matching progress on the ground.

And Mr Kiunjuri accused the Rev Musyimi of being a director of a company in which a relative of Mrs Ngilu also sits. The Gachoka MP said he had sold his shares.

Kiunjuri claimed that the committee had handled some witnesses “with kid gloves and others were handled with iron fists.”