PRESS RELEASE: KIMUNYA STEP ASIDE
Friday, July 4th 2008

Following the passing of a vote of no confidence by Parliament on Finance Minister Mr. Amos Kimunya and the recommendations of the probe committee appointed by the Prime Minister on the sale of the Grand Regency hotel, there appears to be wrongdoing by the minister. Therefore, KCA calls upon the Finance Minister to step aside to pave way for independent investigations into the sale of the hotel. KCA also calls for the stepping aside of Central Bank Governor Professor Njuguna Ndungu and the Head of National Security Intelligence Services Mr. Gichangi as recommended by the probe committee. KCA is aware that unfettered corruption over the years has been responsible for the slow pace of economic development into which the country seems irredeemably stuck.

If it is established that indeed the sale of The Grand Regency by the Central Bank of Kenya, under the patronage of the Finance Minster is a case of corruption, then we urge President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila to come out strongly and take necessary actions that to the eyes of all Kenyan citizens will satisfactorily demonstrate that they are serious about dealing with corruption, and having a “clean cabinet” KCA would also like to take this opportunity to express dismay over the government`s seemingly insatiable appetite for disposing government investments to foreigners when hundreds of billions of shillings are being refunded to enthusiastic Kenyan investors as witnessed in the recent Initial Public Offerings. We urge the managers of privatization of government investments to always give Kenyan citizens priority to buy such interests because they were primarily built with their taxes in the first instance. KCA looks forward to the speedy passage and enactment of the Kenya Freedom of Information Bill 2007 “to enable the public to access information in possession of public authorities” to continually hold the government accountable.

Jared Oluoch,
Secretary,
The Kenyan Community Abroad (KCA).
Cc: The KCA Executive,
Washington D.C.

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Date: Fri, 04 Jul 2008 20:22:06 -0000
From: Gichane Muraguri
Subject: KENYA COMMUNITY ABROAD (KCA) ASKS KIMUNYA TO STEP ASIDE