From: Ouko joachim omolo
The News Dispatch with Omolo Beste
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2013

Denis from Nairobi says I did not come out clear on the 2nd question asked by Adede Omondi because right from the onset we saw the parliamentarians ask for increased salaries even threatening to disband the Salaries Commission, at the end of it all the Ksh. 5 m car grants to MPs and Senators cost Kenyans. It would have made sense like in the past when they were given loans. It is all about impunity. Seemingly they are worse off, cutting on the gains already made.

While Denis’ observation is genuine that politicians in Kenya are among the highest paid on earth, despite the fact that many of their constituents are poor, unemployed and undernourished, corruption is one of the country’s most serious problems historically, with both taxes and international aid often lining private pockets instead of filling public coffers.

The never-ending corruption in the land ministry that just last few weeks ago saw Cabinet Secretary of Lands, Housing and Urban Areas, Charity Ngilu, unilaterally create an office without the authority of the Kenya Constitution or that of Kenya Parliament is just one example to demonstrate that corruption is real in Kenya.

Denis is right to argue that all these is to do with impunity and that is why President Uhuru Kenyatta defended Ngilu a day after Parliament pressed for her sacking for violating the Constitution. Ngilu was awarded the ministry by Kenyatta for having tirelessly campaigned for his presidential bid.

Parliament wanted Ngilu to be sacked for disregarding the constitution in making illegal appointments. Defending her therefore, is condoning corruption and impunity of the first class degree.

The creation of the post of Director General for Lands who is a trustee can only be done by the National Lands Commission or through a bill passed by Kenya Parliament.

Adede Omondi raised the issue of 2010 parliament because this is the parliament corruption was real, open and went unchallenged. It was the year Amos Kimunya as Transport Minister was accused as the most corrupt cabinet minister.

Kimunya who was also the Kipipiri MP topped the list due to some mega scandals which put him on the spotlight. Among the scandals involved was Sh 2.8 billion Grand regency Hotel, Sh4.6 billion money printing scandals and the Sh 56 billion airport tender scandal.

It was the same year Prof Anyang Nyong’o was on the headlines over the National Hospital Insurance Fund. It was alleged that he wired Sh 900 million to his personal accounts in Jersey and Gayman islands.

He was followed by Otieno Kajwang’ whose tender deals on passport and identity cards were questionable. It was alleged that the minister was god father of the corruption dogma in immigration ministry. Billions of shillings were alleged to have passed on his hands through issuance of illegal passports and citizenship.

The next was Soita Shitanda who was accused of illegally allocating government houses to then PS Francis Kimemia and Starehe MP Margaret Wanjiru. Shitanda was also accused of giving the government houses to his wife and relatives.

Another cabinet minister who made the headline news was Moses Wetangula. He was involved in Tokyo scandal where the Kenyan taxpayer lost over 1.2 billion. Wetangula by then was Foreign Affairs minister. His firm was also involved in the Turkana oil saga where he was accused to have made over a billion for himself.

He was followed by Kiraitu Muringi in that category. Kiraitu was involved in series of scandals from Aglo Leasing, which raked in billions from illegal tender processes.

The next minister in this category was Prof Sam Ongeri, a key confidante of President Mwai Kibaki, was involved in the massive plunderof billions of shillings meant for free education kitty which jeopardised the free primary education programme.

The year 2010 was also the year that nepotism topped the list. While Prime Minister Raila Odinga was accused of favoring his elder brother Oburu Odinga as Assistant Minister for Finance, cousin Jakoyo Midiwo as Joint Govt. Chief Whip (essentially a full Cabinet position), his sister Akinyi Wenwa for diplomatic post in Los Angeles, Kibaki was being crucified on the same.

Raila was also accused of favoring his sister Beryl Achieng as chairperson of Railways Workers Pension Board, his cousin Carey Orege as PS Ministry of Regional Development, Elkanah Odembo (Midiwo’s brother-in-law) Ambassador to USA, his cousin Paul Gondi as Executive Chairmsan Geothermal Development Company.

Others were distance cousin from Sakwa in South Nyanza, Ochillo Ayacko as Executive Chairman Kenya Nuclear Electricity Project, his cousin from Sakwa in Bondo, Joe Ager as Senior Officer in Kenya Power among others.

At that time Kibaki had been accused of favoring his relatives and tribesmen from Mt Kenya region. They included Muchemi Wanjuki as Solicitor General, Deputy Solicitor General, Muthoni Kimani, Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u, Deputy registrar-general, F M Ng’ang’a, and Registrar General Bernice Gachegu.

Others were Permanent secretary Francis Kimemia, CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro, AP Commandant K. Mbugua, Commissioner of Police Matthew Iteere, GSU boss Munga Nyale, Police spokesman Eric Kiraithe, NSC Peace and Conflict Management Mr. S.K. Maina, Government Printer: Andrew Rukaria, and Senior Director Administration/Internal Security Iringo Mutea among others.

Now Uhuru is being accused on the same by appointing Njee Muturi as the new Solicitor General, because Njee is a son to the late Muturi Njee from Nyeri County, who also served as the private Secretary to the country’s founding President, Mzee Jomo Kenyatta.

While Jomo Kenyatta died in 1978, the older Muturi died much later when Njee was already serving as Uhuru’s Personal assistant. The high level of confidence between Uhuru and Njee saw the lawyer serve as the Jubilee Presidential Chief Agent during the March 4 General Election at the national tallying centre at the Bomas of Kenya.

Njee had also served as the Kanu Executive Director between 2006 and 2009 when Uhuru was the national chairman of the party, further demonstrating their close working relationship. As a Solicitor General, he will be playing the key role of assisting the Attorney General in the performance of his duties as Principal Legal Adviser to the Government.

Fr Joachim Omolo Ouko, AJ
Tel +254 7350 14559/+254 722 623 578
E-mail omolo.ouko@gmail.com
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Real change must come from ordinary people who refuse to be taken hostage by the weapons of politicians in the face of inequality, racism and oppression, but march together towards a clear and unambiguous goal.

-Anne Montgomery, RSCJ
UN Disarmament
Conference, 2002