KRA summons EACC Chair Philip Kinisu

Anti-graft agency chairman Philip Kinisu has been summoned by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) for questioning over his dealings with the National Youth Service.

Mr Kinisu made the revelation when he appeared before the National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee on Thursday.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chairman was meeting the committee, which is considering a petition for his removal.

Mr Kinisu has been under fire after it was discovered that Esaki Ltd, a company owned by his family and where he was a director and shareholder, had dealings with the National Youth Service, which has been under investigation by the EACC.

The meeting comes a day after the committee met the petitioner, Albert Mokono Ondieki, and questioned his motives and timing in bringing up the matter so soon after Mr Kinisu took office.

On Thursday, Mr Kinisu vehemently defended the payments to Esaki Limited before the committee, maintaining they were regular and that the company had been pre-qualified in 2014 to conduct business with the then Devolution Ministry contrary to what the petitioner had alleged.

He implored on the committee to dismiss the petition as lacking in merit and as a ploy by “high profile” corrupt officials out to sabotage the war against corruption.

“The petition is following a well-orchestrated scheme to tarnish my name and injure my reputation in the eyes of the public. These are mere fabrications by those frustrating the war on corruption who are now at play,” he asserted.

He also dismissed a prayer by the petitioner that he quits office on grounds that his integrity was not beyond reproach for allegedly failing to disclose to the commission that he had interest in the firm arguing that he had relinquished his position as a director when he took up the EACC job and that he stepped aside and wrote to fellow commissioners to allow investigations.

Mr Kinisu said the payments were made 49 days after date of submitting the invoice and due process followed and submitted documents he said confirms the same.

He termed as “circular reasoning” that his continued stay in office would undermine the anti-graft war in the eyes of the public adding that he was not ready to be tried by a mob justice in a court of public opinion.

“The petitioner is demanding my dismissal before due process is adhered to. It is not about me being convicted of criminal offence or something. I disapprove trial in the public,” he added.

He also termed as a witch-hunt the rationale by the EACC commissioners to run a parallel investigation yet they had invited relevant government multi agencies which have already started investigations which are ongoing.