E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - Government Silent Over Fresh Githongo Claims

President Kibaki’s Government appeared stung and wrong-footed by former Ethics and Governance Permanent Secretary John Githongo’s thundering statement that he was now on the warpath.

Githongo has promised the country he is now on a one-man mission to dig out the Anglo Leasing malaise from the root and on his searchlight are big names led by President Kibaki, Vice-President Mr Moody Awori, Head of Civil Service Mr Francis Muthaura, Attorney-General Mr Amos Wako, former Finance Minister Mr David Mwiraria and Energy Minister Mr Kiraitu Murungi.

And hardly before his words could sink in, the Financial Times of London was in the streets with yet another stinker on the Kibaki Administration’s manner of handling corruption-related cases especially those on Anglo Leasing.

Headlined ‘The buck stops here’, the FT story wondered: "Can anyone really be expected to clean up a country where sharp practice and high esteem seem so inextricably linked?"

On Sunday, the stealth silence in Government corridors was shrilly broken by Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua who promised a statement on Monday from Wako.

And while Kiraitu reiterated that Anglo Leasing is "dead", Education Assistant minister Mrs Beth Mugo accused Githongo of doing a hatchet job for foreign governments opposed to the Kibaki Administration.

But an angry Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o — Kibaki’s former Planning minister — weighed in with: "I sat in the Cabinet corruption committee and President Kibaki was implicated in this matter."

The Government grappled with Mr Githongo’s warning even as the picture of him being a one-man army — a foot soldier as well as a General — began to form.

"I now consider it my personal responsibility to seek and expose further details of this attempted cover-up. It is time we Kenyan people held our Government to account," Githongo had said on Saturday.

The silence that greeted Githongo’s strong statement was unlike the reaction on October 1, 2006 when ministers broke their Sunday rest to talk-down Githongo over his ‘skunk-for-a-pet’ statement.

"Anglo Leasing matter is dead"

On Sunday, all Mutua could say was that Wako — who incidentally spurred Githongo into action by throwing away a file on his claims against several of Kibaki’s trusted men — would on Monday face the cameras "to clarify issues addressed by the Gazette Notice that was published by the Director of Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission."

The statement also cautioned: "It is, therefore, important that any reports on these matter be based on fact and not based on speculation."

Ironically, Wako and KACC Director, Mr Justice Aaron Ringera, are on Githongo’s cover-up list.

Contacted, Kiraitu said: "As far as I am concerned, Anglo Leasing is a dead matter, I will never speak about it in my life. I’ll not tell you anything."

Kiraitu stepped down from the Cabinet to pave way for investigations after the BBC aired the Githongo tapes in which he appeared to be asking Mr Githongo to go slow on Anglo Leasing investigations. He was reappointed to the Cabinet last November.

That the self-exiled former anti-graft czar is already holding a smoking gun is discernible from his message to Kenya and the rest of the world: "Put your ears to the ground" and "watch this space."

The highlights of the globally circulated FT story include his modest life in exile and insistence that he’s not a mercenary for hire.

On Kiraitu’s reappointment to the Cabinet, the paper quotes Githongo’s witty response: "In a strange way, I am glad because this brings clarity. The Kenyan leadership has been waging a sophisticated PR campaign to convince everyone it was still on course. The danger was people would fall for that. Kibaki has done us a favour by reappointing (them). The true nature of the cynicism and corruption at the regime’s core will become more plain over the coming months."

The question on everyone’s lips is: How far can the ex-PS go in his onslaught and can anyone stop him?

Highly determined

In this high-stakes game, what does Githongo have that grants him the confidence of a Spanish matador at the sight of the red rag?

Four answers to the questions we fielded, and which he took in his emerging brave and hardened stride, have the ring of a signpost:

Q: From your statements on Anglo Leasing and President Kibaki’s men, one can discern the fact that you have a war-chest in the form of documents, audio recording and probably visual recordings as well. Could these be the source of your unbending disposition and consistency on tackling Anglo Leasing scandals?

A: This matter is not over. With this attempt at closure of the Anglo Leasing investigation, Ringera and Co have displayed their true purpose. Suffice it to say that in war, it is not good practice to discharge all your ammunition in the first battle.

Q: Apart from the audio recording of Mr Kiraitu Murungi asking you to go slow on the investigations, there is speculation he is not alone. Some even say you could have recorded the President or even the Vice-President. Any quick comment?

A: I can only say that since the avenues of seeking the truth via KACC and other institutions provided for in our Constitution were closed, I shall be seeking others for the truth to become known to Kenyans. Kenyans need to know the kind of people represented in the current, past and aspiring political dispensations.

Q: At a personal level since you accepted President Kibaki’s appointment as his adviser on the war on graft, do you feel you were let down by a man who hitherto had the best credentials for the high office?

A: I feel badly let down. I truly believed in Kibaki’s commitment to fight corruption. Perhaps I was naÔve and should have realised earlier that I was merely part of a window dressing process.

Q: Since the statement in which you likened Anglo Leasing to a skunk, which Kanu gave President Kibaki’s Government as a pet and it gladly took home, have there been any attempts by the President or those close to him to talk you out of the position you have taken on Anglo Leasing?

A: The President has never responded to my resignation, or made any effort to speak to me. From those purportedly speaking on his behalf, no efforts have been made that are serious or that have an honest purpose. Now and again, the odd fool will tell me that I have done the Kikuyu community a great disservice by messing things up when it was ‘their turn to eat.’ I always remind such people that my employment contract did not say Gikuyu Inc. at the top. I was employed by the Kenyan people.

Living like an undergraduate

In a press statement, Githongo had said: "Soon enough, Kenyans will establish without a shadow of a doubt, the truth in my assertions relating to Anglo Leasing and other similar attempts to loot our country’s wealth by this government. My personal prayer, and the foundation of my steadfast conviction, is that the time has come when every Kenyan will treasure this nation’s wealth and resources as his or her legacy and not a gravy train to loot. At such a time, Kenyans will not be forced into the kind of situations that I have faced over the last close to two years."

According to the FT story, Githongo dismisses rumours he has been amply rewarded for his treachery and is living in luxury in the UK.

"His Oxford lodgings and his study — a room in a plain Victorian house shared with other St Antony’s researchers — are as bleakly functional as any undergraduate’s," writes Ms Michela Wrong of the FT.

"I have never been on anyone’s payroll. I have made all own choices and never taken a penny for what I did. The really outrageous thing is that it is being presented as though it is treasonous to fight corruption in Africa. A thief is a thief. Revealing someone is a thief does not make one a traitor."

On the porters at St Austin and probably the scare of letter bombs sent through the postman by his enemies, the paper quotes Githongo asking with a chuckle if a parcel coming his way was ‘ticking.’ The head porter’s response was: "I will immediately dispatch my most dispensable porter to give it a firm kick and find out, sir."

Githongo then reveals: "Those chaps have made a ring of steel around me. I have learned new lessons about professionalism, dignity, a sense of tradition and power from them."