President orders officials to step aside

President Kenyatta Thursday announced a corruption purge that could see 175 public officials, including Cabinet secretaries, governors and senators, step aside to pave the way for investigations.
The officials are named in a confidential report handed over to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi by Mr Kenyatta.

The list includes all 26 members of the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament, among other MPs, heads of parastatals and various principal secretaries.

Even after the President handed over the list to the Speaker, it was not made public, leading to speculation that some people might still be added or removed.

The officials named will be expected to step aside to pave the way for an investigation based on the confidential report the President said he had received from the chief executive officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Mr Halakhe Waqo.

“The time has come to send a strong signal to the country that my administration will accept nothing less than the highest standard of integrity from those that hold high office,” he said.
The report contains a “catalogue of allegations of high-level corruption touching on all arms and levels of government”, he said.

Last evening, Parliament’s leadership was reported to be negotiating whether to make the report public, with Speakers Justin Muturi and Ekwee Ethuro locked in a meeting with National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi and Majority Leader Aden Duale, among other MPs.

The Nation was yesterday trying to reach some of the government officials said to be on the list for comment.
President Kenyatta said after he authorised the payment of Sh1.4 billion to firms linked to the Anglo Leasing scandal, he took a personal interest in the matter and pushed for investigations.
PROSECUTION

“These investigations bore fruit,” he said, but “obstacles have appeared, threatening the prosecution of the perpetrators”.

 He said it was as a result of this that the EACC is now embroiled in infighting and finger-pointing,  “a state of affairs likely to cripple the investigative capacity of the institution, with the likely outcome of subverting the course of justice”.

 “From reports I have received, I strongly believe that this is a further attempt to subvert the successful prosecution of the Anglo Leasing cases. It is the view of the CEO of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission that the institution, and especially its secretariat, are under siege because of the nature of the cases they are currently investigating,” said President Kenyatta.

 He said he had asked the Attorney-General to liaise with the Council on Administration of Justice to focus on coordination within the Justice, Law and Order sector.

 He also asked Parliament, where the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is handling a petition filed last week for the removal of EACC Chairman Mumo Matemu and his deputy Irene Keino, to deal with it expeditiously.

President Kenyatta’s statements could spell doom for the tenure of Mr Matemu, whom some MPs have claimed is behind the push not to have suspects in the Anglo Leasing cases prosecuted.

NOT LIVED UP

Mr Kenyatta also appeared to criticise the EACC when he said that despite pledging support for institutions that are supposed to tackle the scourge, they had not lived up to expectations.

“From the commission charged with the responsibility in the fight against corruption, Parliament’s premier oversight committee, the corridors of justice, and the security organs charged with the safety of this nation, Kenyans are witness to the betrayal of their trust,” said the President.

Mr Kenyatta said he received the report from Mr Waqo after he issued an Executive Order three weeks ago, directing any civil servant to get in touch with his office should they be put under pressure to engage in unethical or illegal conduct.

While he is only required to present reports on security and the government’s progress in the fulfilment of international obligations, he also took the unusual step of attaching the report on corruption to be studied and discussed by the Senate and the National Assembly.

“Consequently, I hereby direct that all officials of the national and county governments that are adversely mentioned in this report, whether you are a Cabinet secretary, principal secretary, or chief executive of a state institution, to immediately step aside pending conclusion of the investigations of the allegations against them. I expect the other arms of government, namely the Legislature and the Judiciary, to do the same,” he added.

He asked the EACC to ensure the Director of Public Prosecutions gets the files as fast as possible and for the cases to be concluded within the next 60 days.
Trending topic

Fifty minutes into his one hour, ten minute-speech, President Kenyatta had appeared to be avoiding the subject, which has been the trending topic over the past month.
 When he began talking about it, impatient Opposition MPs told him in Kiswahili to sack the EACC officials. He stopped reading the prepared speech and told them: “Hiyo sio kazi yangu, ni yenu (that’s not my job, it’s yours).”
Minutes later, when he announced the steps to take in the fight against corruption, there was a standing ovation from both sides of the House.

SOME OF THE TOP OFFICIALS UNDER EACC PROBE:

Cabinet Secretaries
Michael Kamau
Davies Chirchir
Charity Ngilu
Kazungu Kambi
Felix Koskei
Principal Secretaries
Nduva Muli
Mutea Iringo
Francis Kimemia
Governors
Evans Kidero
Alfred Mutua
Hassan Ali Joho
Peter Munya
Isaac Ruto
Cyprian Awiti
Godana Doyo
Ukur Yattani
Nadhif Jama
MPs
PAC members
John Serut
Richard Onyonka
Alfred Keter
Sujiv Birdi
Senators
Johnson Muthama
James Orengo

Civil Servants/Parastatal chiefs
Dr Silas Simiyu
Teko Lopoyetum
Patrick Omutia
Marianne Kittany
Esther Koimett
Charles Tonui
Lucy Mbugua
Patrick Langat

Mr Koskei has been accused by MPs for directly awarding tenders to some companies to import sugar from Uganda. Contacted, Mr Koskei said: “I agree we have to uphold integrity because public resources must be properly managed and leaders be accountable. It is thus the onus of those mentioned to clear their names. If found guilty, they should get out of government.” Asked if he knows if he is on the list, he said: “I do not know.”

Mr Kamau did not pick calls but his personal assistant told the Nation he had travelled to Dar es Salaam for a regional meeting. He had been criticised by MPs over the awarding of the tender to the China Bridge and Road Construction to build the Standard Gauge Railway. His PS Nduva Muli was also said to be away for the same meeting. He too could not be reached.

Mr Kambi said: “Presidential directive is long overdue. We have to fight corruption collectively.”

Calls to Mr Iringo were not going through. He has been mentioned in the Sh2.8 billion confidential expenditure by the Office of the President just after the March 4, 2013 elections.

Mr Muthama argued that he had been charged over the Malili ranch land saga, but was yet to be found guilty. He said the President should have been included on the list.

“He made a roadside declaration to pay Sh1.5 billion to Anglo Leasing contracts and comes back to condemn it in Parliament. His deputy is in The Hague for crimes against humanity,” he said.