Kibaki’s thieving coterie must go home
Yesterday’s resignation of Finance minister David Mwiraria was a bold move, only that it was too little too late. Mwiraria should have packed his belongings two years ago when the Anglo Leasing and Finance scandal was first unearthed. But like any other Kenyan leader, he opted to engage in a series of denials and counteraccusations and adamantly maintained that he would never resign. Still, Mwiraria scores a first – being the only Kenyan cabinet minister in the country’s history to have resigned amid corruption allegations.
Granted, Mwiraria was the Finance minister and by extension a key figure in the approval and signing of documents pertaining to Anglo Leasing - the financial scam in which a phantom British company was awarded tamper proof passport and CID forensic laboratory tenders at inflated rates through single sourcing. The ghost company later wired back some money to the treasury after the whistle was blown. But Mwiraria was not acting alone in the whole scam. It was a well-organised syndicate involving other ministers and senior bureaucrats.
Other key players included Vice-President Moody Awori, who held the immigration portfolio at the height of the scandal, Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi (then minister for justice and constitutional affairs) and the then internal security minister Chris Murungaru, who has since moved to court to halt the probing of his bank accounts by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC). Then there is the head of civil service, Francis Muthaura and President Mwai Kibaki’s personal assistant, Alfred Getonga, both whom played a leading role in covering up the scam.
If we are to get to the bottom of this monumental scandal, the only honourable thing to do would be for all those implicated to step aside and allow investigators to carry on with their work. But the investigations will yield no results if conducted by KACC, given that Aaron Ringera, the director, is a close associate of some of the prime suspects. Independent foreign investigators should be headhunted.
It is ironical that President Kibaki, who was elected on an anti-corruption platform knew about the scandal and never raised a finger even after being presented with evidence by his former anti-corruption czar, John Githongo who has since gone into self-exile, fearing for his life. Having failed to tackle corruption for which he used to bash his predecessor Daniel Moi, Kibaki should just dissolve parliament and call for fresh elections. Otherwise it makes no sense to establish several anti-corruption bodies and committees whose findings are never made public. It is not lost to observers that these findings are usually withheld mainly because they present damaging evidence against the president’s men. This is one of the reasons the Goldenberg report has not been made public, six months after its compilation.
Whereas the Moi regime systematically looted the country over its 24-year reign, the Kibaki administration has succeeded in looting the economy dry in less than three years. The only way to save Kenya from further decay is for the president and his coterie to go home.