County bosses on graft ‘List of Shame’ to wait longer to know their fate

Governors whose names are on the ‘List of Shame’ that President Uhuru Kenyatta presented to Parliament are still under investigations and none of them has been charged or cleared.

Files of the 12 are said to be either among the 68 still at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices which, according to the commission, are under ‘active investigations’ or in another lot of 35 currently undergoing ‘evidence analysis’ by the EACC legal team and would be forwarded to the DPP “in due course”.

The governors who have all appeared before EACC for grilling will have to wait longer to know their fate after the agency asked for more time to wrap up investigations.

Although Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria was not mentioned in the list, he has become the first one to be charged by EACC over claims of swearing a false document in a criminal case three years ago.

He has, however, managed to stop the commission from trying him.

Governors who have appeared before the EACC include Dr Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Mr Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Mr Samuel ole Tunai (Narok), Mr Okoth Obado (Migori), Mr Amason Kingi (Kilifi), and Mr Peter Munya (Meru).

Others are Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mr Nadhif Jama (Garissa), Mr Godana Doyo (Isiolo), Mr Ukur Yattani (Marsabit) and Mr Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay).

EACC chief executive officer Halakhe Waqo said none of them has been cleared.

“The impression that some have been cleared is misleading,” he said.

“They will only be declared free once all claims have been fully investigated and they are vindicated.”

On March 5, Dr Kidero became the first county head to appear before the commission and was questioned on several issues, ranging from his tenure as the CEO of Mumias Sugar Company, where millions are said to have been lost, to his current position in which he has been accused of breaking procurement rules.

He was questioned on the Sh280 million allegedly paid to a law firm when he was the CEO at Mumias Sugar Company.

BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS

He was also asked to shed light on allegations that members of the parliamentary Committee on Agriculture were bribed by an unnamed sugar company boss to water down a report.

The EACC detectives at the same time asked Dr Kidero to explain two memorandums of understanding that he signed with two companies to provide mass transport in the city.

The governor was also required to shed light on the Sh600 million State House land deal after court documents showed that Land Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu and Dr Kidero colluded with lawyers and fraudsters to take away the two-acre prime piece of land that is being claimed by Myta Development Limited, a firm owned by Mr Hailu Asfaw, an Ethiopian national.

Dr Kidero was also required to say what he knew of the Sh8 billion Karen land saga, and although he is yet to be charged for any of the allegations, five of his senior officials have been investigated by the commission and were charged in court on April 2.

Mr Joho also had his date with the EACC in relation to the allocation of the Mwembe Tayari Market to two individuals.

He has, however, denied the allegations and is yet to be charged or cleared.