PLO’s zeal restores faith in war on graft

By BEAUTTAH OMANGA             

Kenya: The fired up Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission has restored Kenyans’ hope in ending the vice.

Many are now convinced that economic saboteurs, who used to go scot-free, are on the line for prosecution since KACC is not sparing anybody in the pursuit for justice.

The anti-graft agency Director PLO Lumumba seems to be carrying the country’s hopes.

The latest big fish arraigned in court is Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey, who is facing several counts of abuse of office.

Two weeks ago, PLO said besides Kosgey, he was planning to prosecute three other ministers in graft related cases. The ministries where KACC detectives have been camping in the recent past include Water, Education, Special Programmes, Immigration, and lately the CDF kitties.

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Kenyans have reported suspicious expenditures on CDF monies to the KACC offices, demanding action.

Late last year, West Mugirango councillors demanded investigation into reports that millions of shillings of CDF money had been misappropriated.

Local MP James Gesami then disbanded the entire CDF committee for doing some activities behind his back, a defence denied by those under investigations.

The Health Assistant Minister presented himself to the KACC Offices in November to “explain some issues on his CDF account.”

The case has been pending with rumours spreading in the constituency on who is to blame. The constituents are waiting for a legal action against those implicated.

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There are other cases under investigation, including the latest reported by Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo in his Mbooni constituency.

Yesterday, Mutula maintained he was behind the push by his constituents for proper use of all CDF monies.

Trouble at the Mbooni CDF started when some councillors protested, arguing they were not happy with the fund’s management.

PLO has said attention has shifted to CDF kitties and a minister being investigated would appear in court next week.

“We received information and complaints about the minister and we are investigating,” he said, but declined to reveal the minister’s name.

Water Minister Charity Ngilu has also been summoned to KACC to explain some issues related to awarding of tenders at her ministry.

Two other ministers, Sam Ongeri and Naomi Shaban, have reportedly been exonerated from any blame over corruption cases in their ministries.

And as KACC intensifies the war against graft, it is feared that lack of a political goodwill is likely to thwart its determination to nail all wrongdoers.

PLO has put the economic saboteurs on notice and threatened to have all their foreign accounts frozen.

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He says it is against the Constitution for any public officer to have foreign accounts. Sources said following Lumumba’s move against the ‘Big fish’, those with illegally acquired properties were now engaging in panic sales.

Former chairman of the Law Reform Commission Yash Pal Ghai and former PS John Githongo urged PLO and the Provincial Administration to be on the look out to block the sale of public properties to unsuspecting buyers.

Another interesting case being investigated by KACC includes grabbing of public land by civic leaders at Kisii Municipality.

Sources said an audit report has been forwarded to KACC with revelations of how the councillors with the support of chief officers grabbed and transferred title deeds of rightful owners to their names.

“We were shocked to learn from an audit report that two councillors have sold nearly 30 pieces in Kisii town without the owners detecting.