E-Clips:- Business Pictorial - Ministers Quit Over Corruption Allegations

Ministers Kiraitu Murungi and Prof George Saitoti are finally out of the Cabinet following unrelenting pressure on President Kibaki to sack ministers implicated in corruption.

Kibaki announced in a live television address to the nation on Monday night that he had accepted the resignations of the two to pave way for investigations into the 16-year-old Goldenberg scandal and the Anglo Leasing affair whose details are still emerging.

The President said in the 7.30 pm address: "Further to the statement I released to the media on Thursday 9th February, 2006 and after careful consideration, I have today accepted the request by Professor George Saitoti to step aside from his responsibilities as Minister for Education in order to pave the way for investigations into the issues raised in the Report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Goldenberg Affair. "I have also accepted the request by Hon Kiraitu Murungi to step aside from his responsibilities as the Minister for Energy in order to allow full investigations into allegations made against him in regard to the Anglo Leasing affair.

"I urge all Kenyans to exercise patience as the relevant arms of the law carry out investigations into these issues." Adversely mentioned Although the President implied the ministers had offered to resign, sources close to one of the ministers revealed he had after a meeting with the President maintained that there was no reason for him to walk out of the Cabinet. Saitoti is adversely mentioned in the Goldenberg report that was released about a week ago. It recommended that the Attorney-General should consider prosecution of Saitoti, who was then the vice president and minister for Finance.

Kiraitu’s name has featured in the evidence on the Anglo Leasing scandal released by former Ethics Permanent Secretary, John Githongo. An audio tape in which the then minister for Justice was heard asking Githongo to "go slow" on investigations into a questionable contract was last week broadcast all over the world by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). With the exit of the two, the focus now shifts to Vice President Moody Awori, who has also been adversely mentioned in the Githongo dossier as having tried to block investigations. Both Saitoti and Kiraitu returned to the Cabinet with full ministerial positions last December after President Kibaki named his new team following the Government’s defeat in the November 21 referendum, which forced him to re-examine the composition of his Government.

Threats of mass action Kiraitu was shunted from the influential position of Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister to the equally lucrative Energy portfolio, while Saitoti retained his docket at the Education ministry.

On Monday, Kibaki parted ways with his two ministers just hours after a Presidential Press Service dispatch from State House to newsrooms announced the official sacking of his Personal Assistant, the influential Alfred Getonga over the scandal. The statement also came ahead of Tuesday’s planned meeting in Parliament by MPs over Kibaki’s delay to re-open Parliament and forcibly act on corruption.

The timing of the President’s action also seemed tactical and could pull the plug on civil society groups that have lately been mobilising and threatening mass action if he failed to decisively act on officials of his Government tainted by claims of grand corruption. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and civil society groups on Monday appeared set on a collision course with President Kibaki over growing calls for mass action. The President’s inner circle was deeply concerned about the meeting of MPs at Parliament to force the Head of State to re-open the House and act decisively on members of his Cabinet implicated in the Anglo Leasing scandal.

Mounting pressure Former Roads minister Raila Odinga confirmed that MPs from across the political divide would hold a meeting at Parliament Buildings on Tuesday. He said the meeting, scheduled to start at 10am, would bring together MPs from LDP, Kanu, Ford Kenya, DP and other parties represented in the House. ‘We have notified the Speaker and all MPs have also been informed about the meeting,’ said Raila.

For Saitoti, things couldn’t have come at a worse time. Without a solid political base and having been handed a thrashing in his own backyard in last November’s referendum on the Constitution, the Kajiado North MP could as well be staring at the sunset of his political career. Having divorced himself from the Liberal Democratic Party over the contentious memorandum of understanding (MoU) and chosen to lean more towards the Kibaki inner circle, he now finds himself partyless, quite literally. The President appeared to have acceded to demands and mounting pressure both locally and internationally that he shunts Cabinet ministers implicated in the Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg scandals.

Government has been under siege It is the second time in as many weeks that Kibaki, whose Government has been under siege since the fresh revelations on the Anglo Leasing scandal by Githongo began to unfold, let a member of his Cabinet to quit.

Former Finance minister David Mwiraria announced his resignation at an international Press conference, saying that he was stepping aside to pave way for investigations. Mwiraria’s resignation, however, triggered off a flurry of demands that other Cabinet colleagues linked to the Anglo Leasing scam by the Githongo dossier also resign. But the Vice President, together with Kiraitu, remained adamant that they had done nothing wrong.

Awori called a Press conference after a day of tense anticipation to announce that he wouldn’t be resigning, after all. Kiraitu also stonewalled himself and even tried to drag in the Orange Democratic Movement and Raila down the drain with him. Another key political ally of Kibaki linked to the Anglo leasing scandal is former Transport minister Chris Murungaru. Murungaru – who is additionally banned from ever stepping on European and American soil - was not in the new-look Cabinet.