NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 26 – Five Cabinet Secretaries and six Principal Secretaries are among public officers that President Uhuru Kenyatta has directed to step aside to allow for investigations into corruption allegations leveled against them.
The Cabinet Secretaries, according to sources include Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu, her Agriculture counterpart Felix Koskei and Transport CS Engineer Michael Kamau.
Reports also indicated Davies Chirchir and Kazungu Kambi may be on the list.
Other high ranking members of the Executive called upon to step aside include Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia and Defence Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo.
Deputy President William Ruto’s Chief of Staff Marianne Kitany, who was adversely mentioned in the infamous ‘Hustler’s’ Jet probe, is also among them.
Ambassador Chirau Mwakwere and the Chief Executive Officers of the Kenya Pipeline Corporation, National Social Security Fund and the Geo-thermal Development Corporation are included in those in the Executive Arm of Government called upon to step aside.
Twelve governors are included in the list President Kenyatta presented to Parliament on Thursday as those under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
They include Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero, Alfred Mutua (Machakos), Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Peter Munya (Meru), Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay) and Isaac Ruto (Bomet).
Other governors are Ukur Yattani (Marsabit), Godana Doyo ( Isiolo) and Amason Kingi (Kilifi).
Parliamentarians on the list include Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama, Siaya Senator James Orengo, Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, Mt. Elgon MP John Serut, Kitutu Chache MP Richard Onyonka and the members of the Agriculture and Public Accounts Committees of the National Assembly.
There are a total of 175 names which were forwarded to the Speakers of Parliament by President Kenyatta on Thursday during his second State of the Nation Address.
“Today, I take the extra-ordinary step of attaching the afore-mentioned confidential report from the CEO of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission as an annex to my annual report on values to Parliament,” he said.
He was, however, careful to state that his call for them to step aside was in no way an indictment and gave the EACC 60 days to complete their investigations and forward the files to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
A majority of the high profile names in the annex are already in the public domain as being investigated on suspicion of corruption.
House Speakers Ekwee Ethuro and Justin Muturi called a news conference on Thursday evening but said they would not release the list until it is formally submitted before the National Assembly and Senate.
The Speakers spoke after a meeting with the House leadership which was called to discuss whether they should make the names public.
Muturi said they had agonised over the matter but would follow procedure even in the wake of the increasing curiosity over the contents of the confidential list.
Source-capitalfm.co.ke
