PRESS STATEMENT
MR. PRESIDENT, STOP THE CORRUPT BEFORE THEY STOP KENYA

Though coming rather late in the day, we applaud President Mwai Kibaki’s decisive action on the scandal plaguing Nairobi City Council. Nevertheless, we are saddened that the President spared Deputy Prime Minister and Local Government Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Nairobi Mayor Geoffrey Magiwa, both who have been adversely mentioned in the same saga. We demand that the President immediately and publicly asks the two to step aside to facilitate independent and credible investigations. Failure to do so will reinforce the emerging trend that the Kibaki administration applies double standards, allowing politicians to be immune to the rule of law.

The scandal in local government reveals total rot in society, given that all sectors in the public service were involved. Read against the fact that several permanent secretaries and senior civil servants have been suspended for corruption, and many people who held top jobs have been arraigned in court by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission for corruption, and the media continues to unearth mega scandals almost daily, it cannot be business as usual.

The alarming state of affairs demands radical action to restore public morality. Without a doubt, President Kibaki’s habit of letting the corrupt go scot-free, despite having been elected on a very popular anticorruption platform in December 2002, has nursed corruption to its current monstrous size. Fortunately, it is not difficult to reverse the trend because Kenyans want to crush those looting public resources. All the President has to do is to immediately crack the Executive whip we have given him on the numerous scandals that have plagued the Republic, especially since he was sworn into office in January 2003.

President Kibaki should pursue those involved in the scandals and, alongside the City Hall scandal, recover the estimated one trillion shillings lost in the following scandals: the Kshs 56.3 billion Anglo Leasing scandal; the 1970s Finance Minister Mwai Kibaki inspired Ken Ren Chemical and Fertilizer Company scandal that was paid billions of shillings in 2007 for a factory that was never built; the FPE funds scandal; the National Cereals and Produce Board gunny bags scandal implicating Agriculture Minister William Ruto; the maize scandal; and the IDPs cash scandal.

Also, the irregular transfer of 10% of Telkom (K) Ltd shares worth tens of millions of shillings in Safaricom to Mobitelea Ventures; the Triton Oil scandal where Kshs 7.6 billion was lost through KPC with the collusion of the Ministry of Energy; the 2001 KPLC scandal relating to the “treated wood poles” at Ministry of Energy; the Kshs 70 billion Goldenberg rip-off under President Daniel Arap Moi; the various scandals in the procurement of military and security equipment; the irregular and fraudulent payment by the Solicitor General, Mr. Wanjuki Muchemi, of Kshs 72 million of public funds to six lawyers (Kshs 12 million each to Dr. Gibson Kamau Kuria, Mr. Waweru Gatonye, Mr. Njoroge Regeru, Ms. Lucy Kambuni, Mr. Kioko Kilukumi and Mr. Fred Ngatia) as legal fees in November 2005 a 5-day court appearance. Shamefully, AG Amos Wako defended these payments in Parliament.

We also demand the official publication and decisive action to be taken on the recommendations of the following reports: the Kiruki Report on the Artur Brothers; the 110-page Kroll Report exposing the theft of Kshs 300 billion by Moi and his cronies (that the Raila-led LDP wing of the NARC Government furiously block the Kibaki administration from pursuing); the Ndung’u Report that recommended the nullification of title deeds for illegally acquired land; the various Price Waterhouse Coopers reports, including on the maize scandal; and the many reports commissioned by the Government in other scandals that have never been made public. Reports of all commissions of inquiry should be published as a key component of fighting corruption.

Make no mistake, Mr. President. Stop the corrupt before they stop Kenya. The fight against graft is a national duty. To constructing a just, equitable and constitutional country governed by the rule of law you must show the courage and commitment expected of the presidency. There is enough public anger and willingness by the masses to make the crusade against corrupt politicians and civil servants the main national agenda. Kenyans are ready. We will go the extra mile to get our country back.

Signed:

Neto Agostinho – 0722-467-365 Date: Wednesday, March 10, 2010
National Convener,
Kenyans for Justice and Development