Kenyan Cabinet Secretary among those whose files are ready for prosecution over graft

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chair, Mumo Matemo (right) flanked by the vice chair Irene Keino during a press conference

NAIROBI: A Cabinet Secretary and top officials of the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) could be charged with corruption if the Director of Public Prosecutions accepts recommendations of the anti-graft agency.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) said it would in the next one week charge officials involved in the National Social Security Fund's (NSSF) Tassia project, Immigration Department and KAA's Greenfield project.

EACC Chairman Mumo Matemu said they have also finished investigations into four Judiciary cases and nine new Anglo-Leasing files on National Early Warning and Safety System.

In the Tassia Phase Two project, suspended Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi was named as under probe in the recently released report by the commission.

The dossier said Mr Kambi was involved in corruption deals at NSSF, which falls under his ministry, and that he had supported the project despite the Board of Trustees not approving the project's revised cost estimate of Sh5 billion from Sh3.3 billion.

EACC in its report said the alleged approval of revised cost by way of email circulation was improper and irregular.

"The controversy of the Tassia Phase Two upgrade involves Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi, NSSF senior management and property development manager," reads part of the dossier.

WORK PERMITS

Also under investigation were NSSF senior management and property development manager. It is, therefore, unclear who would be charged.

Monday, Mr Matemu said the other two files are those of the Immigration Department, in which the commission was pursuing claims of corruption in issuance of work permits that led to the suspension of its director, Jane Waikenda.

"21 cases will be in court in the next seven to 10 days. We are almost complete with the analysis of the evidence," said Matemu.

Other officials said the four files on Judiciary in which a number of former and current staff are targeted for prosecution are almost complete and they were only waiting to record statements from Chief Justice Willy Mutunga.

At KAA, EACC was probing allegations of abuse of office and failure by its management to comply with the provisions of Public Procurement and Disposal Act 2005 and regulations, together with other statutory provisions in the procurement of the proposed Greenfield Terminal project tender.

Matemu said three files on the KAA project are ready for prosecution.

He said one file on Kisumu government, seven files on National Police Service Commission and seven cases on Machakos County are under evidence analysis by both the commission and DPP.

He added so far they have covered 93 files of the 175 that were tabled in Parliament by the president.