Uhuru Kenyatta suspends EACC chair Mumo Matemu and his deputy Irene Keino

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Chairman Mumo Matemu and his deputy Irene Keino left their offices shortly after being suspended by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday.

Mr Matemu and Ms Keino, who were caught unawares by the President’s action, were said to be contemplating moving to court to challenge their removal.

Efforts to contact Mr Matemu were futile while Ms Keino sent a text message: “Kindly stop calling me. Go to them (those who contributed to their removal) to give you information.”

They, however, retained their security detail and official cars.

By Kicking out the two, the President appeared to give a seal of approval to the EACC Secretariat headed by Mr Halakhe Waqo when he assured Kenyans that the suspension of Mr Matemu and Ms Keino would not affect the ongoing investigations and prosecutions of corruption cases.

The suspension of the two officials was confirmed by State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu.

“President Uhuru Kenyatta has today suspended from office of Member and Chairperson, Mr Mumo Matemu; and from office of Member and Vice-Chairperson of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Ms Irene Keino,” the statement said.

NOT FIT TO HOLD OFFICE

The suspension, coming just a day after the National Assembly approved a report by the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs that the Chairman and the Vice-Chairperson were not fit to hold office, was loaded with tough conditions.

The two were asked to vacate their offices at Integrity Centre immediately and stop carrying out any functions relating to the fight against corruption until investigations by a tribunal were concluded.

“They are suspended from undertaking all functions and duties of those offices with immediate effect, pending the outcome of findings by the tribunal, which will be set up in accordance with the law,” Mr Esipisu said.

“This process, in no way, hinders the work of the organisation which remains constitutionally established and operational.”

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is currently working on numerous cases involving public officers that were in a list submitted to the President who in turn handed it over to Parliament.

Only this week, the Commission said it would give 21 files to the Director of Public Prosecutions next week so that he could start working on the cases.

Already, some cabinet and principal secretaries and other top state officials have been charged with corruption.

The commission has also taken to court seven suspects in the Anglo Leasing scandal, among them former Finance Minister David Mwiraria, former Permanent Secretary Dave Mwangi, former Head of Debt Management at the Treasury David Onyonka and former Finance PS Joseph Magari.

The move to kick out Mr Matemu and Ms Keino was triggered by a petition submitted to Parliament by Mr Geoffrey Oriaro, who argued that the two were incapable of leading the fight against sleaze.

While the petition called for their dismissal, it appeared that State House was determined to get rid of the commissioners at the EACC on grounds that they were “not passionate” about the fight against corruption.

Mr Abdikadir Mohammed, President Kenyatta’s adviser on constitutional affairs, recently said the two lacked the will to tackle corruption.

President Kenyatta is expected to appoint a four-member tribunal to investigate the grounds which were listed in Mr Oriaro’s petition.