Suspended employees behind graft in govt, official says

A team of high profiled people who were working with the government and suspended because of graft cases has ganged up to brand the government as corrupt, Government spokesman Eric Kiraithe has claimed.

Mr Kiraithe claimed the said scheme is made up of the suspended government officials, wheeler-dealers who had been fraudently benefiting from government tenders in the past and those who have ‘ambitions’ in the year’s General Election.

Speaking to journalists during a press briefing at Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa on Friday, Mr Kiraithe said that the “team” has no agenda for the country, hence branding the government as corrupt.

“The team has been sneaking in government ministries and departments picking bits and pieces of projects and misrepresenting them as corrupt and their targets is mainly the big life changing projects initiated by the government,” said Mr Kiraithe.

Mr Kiraithe cited the current mega scandal at Afya House as one of those which was misinterpreted.

He further gave example of the Galana Kulalu ranch in the Coast saying it was among those that the said cartel is ensuring the government does take credit.

When asked who the said people are in the alleged scheme, Mr Kiraithe said: “We shall know them by their fruits”.

He added: “We are not as a government not going to keep responding to these allegations of corruptions. All corruption cases will be investigated and the persons there in be prosecuted.”

Mr Kiraithe said some of the said big projects being tainted as corrupt like the Standard Gauge Railway, have been in place since independence.