MajimboKenya.com
Kenyan President appoints another corrupt ally as Finance Minister
Posted in July 11th, 2008
by Editor in Central, Kenya

Michuki takes over Finance docket
BY ANTHONY KAGIRI

President Mwai Kibaki on Friday appointed Environment Minister John Michuki as the acting Minister for Finance replacing Amos Kimunya who resigned on Tuesday.

A statement from State House also stated that Public Works Minister Chris Obure would double as Minister for Roads following the demise of Kipkalya Kones last month.

The statement indicated that the appointments take effect immediately. Michuki’s appointment was welcomed by nominated MP Musikari Kombo. “John is a worker and he will work. I think he will hold the portfolio quiet effectively,” Kombo told Capital News on phone.

His sentiments were echoed by Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo. “Michuki has always been a good minister despite his thorax way of doing things,” Midiwo said referring to Michuki’s abrasive style of management.

The new man at the helm of Kenya’s purse was born in 1932 in Kangema, Murang’a district. He joined the civil service after his ‘O’ level and was appointed to the provincial administration as a clerk in 1957. He was promoted to district officer in 1961.

That same year Michuki joined Oxford University on a government scholarship, to study public administration and economics at Worcester College. Upon graduation, he was appointed district commissioner to Nyeri.

This will not be Michuki’s first time at the finance ministry. He was first posted to the Treasury in 1963 as an Under Secretary.

Michuki was promoted to deputy Permanent Secretary to the Treasury in 1964 and appointed Permanent Secretary the following year. In his new position he represented the government on numerous boards and in various capacities, including as alternate Governor for Kenya on the boards of the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation. He retired from the civil service following his appointment as Chairman of the Kenya Commercial Bank in 1970 and left thereafter for the private sector.

Michuki was appointed minister for Transport and Communications by President Kibaki when the NARC government assumed power in 2002. He was moved to the Ministry of Internal Security and Provincial Administration in 2005 after President Kibaki re-organised his Cabinet following the 2005 referendum.

After the 2007 elections Michuki was appointed Roads minister before been moved to environment in the coalition cabinet. His tenure as Minister of Transport and Communications is best remembered for the tough “Michuki Rules” which stated that all matatus and buses in Kenya had to install speed governors and passenger safety belts. Consequently statistics indicated that the country recorded a decline in accidents by a record 74 percent.

As Minister for roads the no nonsense administrator raged on non performing contractors managing to cancel a couple of licenses.

At the security docket he will be remembered for his rein on the outlawed Mungiki sect though his tenure was tainted by the infamous raid by police officers at the Standard Group offices and accusations of extra judicial killings of suspected Mungiki members.

CHRIS OBURE

The 58 year old Bobasi MP was the last man at the Treasury under former President Daniel Arap Moi’s regime. His one year stint at the finance docket was however adversely mentioned in the controversial tender for the supply of security systems to the Kenya Police. He was later to lose his seat at the 2002 general election.

Obure made a come back during last year’s poll under the Orange Democratic Movement and made it to the coalition cabinet. He had also served as an agriculture minister in the KANU regime.

Courtesy of:http://www.capitalnews.co.ke/Local/Michuki-takes-over-Finance-docket.html

3 users commented in ” Kenyan President appoints another corrupt ally as Finance Minister ”

Jane Njeri-UK said,
in July 11th, 2008 at 8:37 am

Kibaki knows his time is over and he is such a smart exprienced fellow who understand how to safeguide and stay in power. By the way, who is not corrupt in the Grand Coalition government ? The Finance Minister was a slot for PNU and Kibaki has all the powers to appoint whoever he wishes, moreover, Muchiki is consider a businessman.

Mr Uhuru Kenyatta is a reject, and I think he might not even see parliament next general election, Mr Kalanzo is likewise a spent force, they all lobbied to have the slot after failing to protect Kimunya. Kenyan should stop panicking, Kibaki and Raila are in the control. Let us wait and see.

WHO IS KIBAKI ?
Kazi endelee !!!!

Robert Kimathi said,
in July 11th, 2008 at 10:25 am

What is really happening with Kibaki? Why could he appoint someone young?

Should these old grandparents continue dominating the Kikuyu politics, economic and power ?

This is ridiculas, for Kibaki at 76 years old to appoint another aging friend of the same age to run such a sensitive portfolio. I think the Kikuyus needs to stand up and form another political platform for the younger generation.

Maybe the grand opposition be transformed to a political party with a young Kikuyu as the head, while Ababu can be our secretary. This is unacceptable for Kibaki to keep recycling his old fiends to cabinet posts.

Judy Miriga said,
in July 11th, 2008 at 11:29 am

Folks,
Michuki’s story is an open book from high level corruption to Human Rights Violation to security risks many Kenyans fear, a situation many believe is a way to coerce and evade reality of bringing Kimunya to true justice.

Dr. Oburu is as Assistant to Kimunya in the Finance Ministry and so there was no obsolute reason why Oburu would not deputise the Finance Ministry while Kimunya is away under investigation – we are talking of transparency here. A Public Office is being run and managed as personal private business representing interests of a few single tribe cannot escape many minds from wondering what President Kibaki is up to.

The President has failed to respect the wishes and DEMANDS of the Republic of People of Kenya.

He has constantly worked against the efforts to erradicate corruption, transparency, justice and the respect of Human Rights. He has continually undermined transformation of true Justice and Democratization of the Rule of Law. He has steadfastly thrived in the creation of wanton atmosphere of tribal annimosity in Kenya by recycling characters who have in the past been condemned in many cases of embezzling public resources and utilities, malpractices, blocking justice and being involved in high level of injustices, convitions in the involvement of security risks as well as questionable circumstances of mysterious deaths in Kenyan.

He has evidently occassionally met with his cronies, the Mt. Kenya Mafia, birds of the same feather, at State House to scheme against Kenyans efforts to reform.

Kenyans are sick and tired to be constantly treated like animals who have no values or virtues for their future, who with their education and information cannot face challenges of the world towards improved development agenda. Who are not able to thrive in their development efforts because their leaders since 45 years have perfected the art of divisive segragation refusing to provide conducive feasible atmosphere for Kenya to prosper.

Ladies and Gentlement, it is time to denounce these leaders in the face of the world and look for immediate solution. It is unreasonable and unfair to majority Kenyans, something must be done and done fast.

Thanks,
Judy Miriga
USA

Exhibit B

National News

Options after Kimunya
Updated on: Thursday, July 10, 2008
Story by: By Emmanuel Onyango
………..

KEY figures from Central province met President Mwai Kibaki at State House, Nairobi on Tuesday evening, Kenya Times has reliably learnt.

It is thought that the meeting was convened to review and strategise on how to deal with the aftermath of Amos Kimunya’s resignation as Finance minister. Sources say President Kibaki summoned Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti, their Environment counterpart John Michuki and other close allies to State House where it is understood they caucused on the implications of Kimunya’s removal.

A number of influential businessmen perceived to be close allies of the President are said to have attended the meeting. Although details of the meeting were scanty, sources claim it mainly centred on Kimunya’s succession at Treasury and the implications of his resignation to Kibaki’s government and the Mt Kenya interests.

Uhuru and Michuki are said to have reiterated their position that Kimunya’s woes were politically motivated, saying the disgraced former minister was crucified unheard. And a day after Kimunya bowed in to pressure to step aside, focus has shifted to the remaining personalities implicated in the clandestine sale of the Grand Regency hotel.

Eyes were turned on Finance Permanent Secretary Joseph Kinyua, Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Prof. Njuguna Ndung’u, National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) director Major General Michael Gichangi and other senior public officers.

Also under the spotlight was Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula whom sources said both Parliament and the Government are out to establish what role, if any, he played in the Grand Regency saga. Mr Wetangula was before getting appointed to the Cabinet associated with the law firm of Wetangula, Adan, Makokha and Company Advocates that handled the legal transfer of the hotel from CBK to the Libyan company that bought the property.

The Amos Wako-led technical committee appointed by Prime Minister Raila Odinga to review all documents relating to the sale of the Grand Regency hotel two weeks recommended that the former Finance Minister, the NSIS Director General and the CBK Governor step aside to allow a proper probe into the transaction. The committee also recommended that the conduct of all public officers in the Office of the President, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Lands and CBK with regard to the sale and transfer of the hotel be investigated and appropriate action taken against them if found to have acted improperly.

“Pending the completion of the investigations, the Minister for Finance, the NSIS director general, CBK governor and the Secretary to the board of directors of CBK step aside,” the Wako report stated. As the country’s chief diplomat, the heat is also on Minister Wetangula following Monday’s admissions by Hisham Ali Sharif, the Charge de Affaires at the Libyan embassy in Nairobi, that the Grand Regency sale was a “government to government agreement.

” All foreign relations, including trade protocols like the one jointly signed between President Kibaki and Libyan leader Muammar Gadaffi last year, are under the custody of the Foreign Affairs Minister who also oversees their implementation.

The Minister is therefore believed to have been in the thick of things throughout the deal. Gadaffi and Kibaki signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that contained three protocols covering trade, air travel, hotel and tourism when Kibaki toured the Maghreb state last year. Libya’s local envoy has since confirmed that all relevant bureaucracies involved including the Foreign Affairs ministry, had approved the hotel’s purchase by Libyan Arab African Investment Company Limited.

Given that the protocols in the MoU accorded preferential status to the Libyan investors, questions now abound over what the Foreign Affairs ministry knew about them, their association with the Tripoli government and other vested interests they have in Kenya’s hospitality, infrastructure and energy sector.

Wetangula is yet to be adversely mentioned in the Libyan conspiracy but pressure is mounting from Parliament for his resignation and subsequent prosecution of all government officials implicated in the Grand Regency sale. And yesterday, the firm at the centre of the controversy, Libyan Arab African Investment Company Limited insisted the hotel deal was handled above board and that there was nothing to could regret about. Gichangi was the first person to introduce to the Central Bank the possibility of a settlement and sale of the Grand Regency hotel. Gichangi even indicated to the CBK Governor Njunguna Ndung’u that an advocate by name of Bernard Kalove, together with Wetangula, Adan, Makokha and Company Advocates –representing Kamlesh Pattni- would contact him (Ndungu) to discuss the matter.

It was after Gichangi’s intervention that the Central Bank made an offer to sell the Grand Regency to Libyan Arab African Investment Company Limited without consulting neither the Attorney General, the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission nor the CBK board of directors. Prof Ndungu is even in a murkier crisis given that he withheld vital information from his board of governors, failed to conduct due diligence on the purchasers, refrained from consulting with the Attorney General and failed to hold direct negotiations with representatives of the Libyan government over the transaction.

Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale called for a constitutional amendment to provide for the immediate resignation of Cabinet ministers and civil servants whom Parliament has passed a vote of no-confidence against. He wants CBK governor Njuguna Ndungu, NSIS Director General Michael Gichangi and Civil Service head Francis Muthaura shown the door to pave way for independent investigations. Others calling on action to be taken against all those adversely mentioned in the hotel saga include Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, Machakos Catholic bishop Martin Kivuva and Law Society of Kenya chairman Okong’o Omogeni.

It is thought that the meeting was convened to review and strategise on how to deal with the aftermath of Amos Kimunya’s resignation as Finance minister. Sources say President Kibaki summoned Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Internal Security Minister Prof George Saitoti, their Environment counterpart John Michuki and other close allies to State House where it is understood they caucused on the implications of Kimunya’s removal.

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Date: Fri, 11 Jul 2008 11:51:44 -0700 (PDT)
forwarded by: Judy Miriga
Subject: Kenyan President appoints another corrupt ally as Finance Minister