Kidero first of 12 governors to face graft probe

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero on Thursday became the first county boss to appear before the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission over graft allegations after his name appeared in the “List of Shame” presented to Parliament by President Uhuru Kenyatta last month.

Dr Kidero, who was escorted by chanting supporters, arrived at the commission’s headquarters at Integrity House at 9.30 am and for about eight hours, was questioned on several issues ranging from his tenure as the chief executive of the Mumias Sugar Company — where millions of shillings are alleged to have been lost in suspect deals — to his current position as governor where he is facing investigation over procurement contracts running into hundreds of millions and suspect land deals in the county worth billions of shillings.

Other governors expected to appear before the commission are Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Mr Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Mr Samuel Tunai (Narok), Mr Okoth Obado (Migori), Mr Amason Kingi (Kilifi) and Mr Peter Munya (Meru).

Also to have a date with the anti-graft commission are Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Mr Nadhif Jama (Garissa), Mr Godana Doyo (Isiolo), Mr Ukur Yattani (Marsabit) and Mr Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay).

MUMIAS SUGAR COMPANY

Dr Kidero was questioned in connection with the Sh280 million allegedly paid to a law firm irregularly when he was chief executive of Mumias Sugar. 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 on troubles at the sector.

Anti-graft detectives also asked Dr Kidero to explain two Memoranda of Understanding that he signed with two companies to provide mass transport services in the city.

He was also required to shed light on the Sh600 million State House land after court documents appeared to indicate that he and Land Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu colluded with lawyers and fraudsters to irregularly allocate the two-acre piece of land that is being claimed by Myta Development Limited, a firm owned by Mr Hailu Asfaw, an Ethiopian.

Dr Kidero was also required to shed light on what he knew about the Sh8 billion Karen land grab issue.

Dr Kidero denied that he paid Sh280 million to Ojienda and Company Advocates when he was at the helm of the Mumias Sugar. He said “such a huge amount would have left a huge hole (in the company’s books)”.

DIAMOND COACHES

“I can confirm that no such amount was ever approved or paid by myself,” he said.

While speaking soon after emerging from the day long session with investigators, Dr Kidero alsAdditional reporting by Otiato Guguyuo denied having signed any deal with Diamond Coaches Limited which was to provide public transport services within the city. “No contract has ever been signed and, therefore, there are no legal or financial risks to Nairobi City County,” he said further in a statement he supplied to journalists before he left accompanied by a group his supporters.

“For a contract to be signed, the matter must go through the full procurement process, which process did not even start,” he said.

The Nairobi County Assembly tried to oust the then County Executive Committee Member for Transport, Mr Evans Ondieki, over alleged irregularities in the mass transport deal.

In the wake of the accusations, Dr Kidero moved Mr Ondieki to the Environment in a reshuffle of his Cabinet which also saw the exit of Mr John Gakuo, (the Environment) and Mr Timothy King’ondu, (Health).

At the centre of the push to oust Mr Ondieki last year was a Mr Guleid Mursla, who gave Mr Ondieki a proposal to run the bus system under his company Diamond Coaches Limited.

It was claimed that Mr Mursla would run the public buses once they were acquired from a Chinese supply.
The deal went south, forcing Mr Mursla to lose his buses owing to a loan he had borrowed at First Family Bank.

Mr Mursla, through his lawyer, Mr Peter Mugalo, wrote to the county government to demand Sh99 million after he lost all his property in the deal.

Additional reporting by Otiato Guguyu