Calls for action against officials cited in graft claims

Claims of corruption involving high-ranking Kenyan government officials have rattled President Mwai Kibaki's administration, with civil society activists and the opposition calling for action against those who have been implicated. John Githongo, who resigned in February 2005 as permanent secretary in charge of governance and ethics, was quoted by local and international media as saying on Sunday that senior ministers were involved in the so-called "Anglo-Leasing" scam, which involved plans to print passports with improved security features and the building of a modern forensic laboratory for the police. The government had paid millions of dollars to Anglo-Leasing and Finance Limited, but the funds were quickly refunded when auditors and anti-corruption officials blew the whistle, saying that the company appeared to have an address that did not exist. "In order to maintain the integrity of the investigation, those implicated should step aside while the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) investigates the allegations against them," said Maina Kiai, chairman of the government's own National Commission on Human Rights, on Monday. Githongo implicated Vice-President Moody Awori, finance minister David Mwiraria, then justice minister Kiraitu Murungi and then internal security minister Chris Murungaru, who has since been dropped from the cabinet. Githongo said that the officials seemed to have known the identities of those behind the Anglo-Leasing conspiracy. All the ministers have denied the allegations against them, with Murungi branding them "malicious". Opposition leaders said the cabinet should be dissolved to flush out corrupt elements. "The problem we have in Kenya - which is not a new problem - is that of impunity," Kiai said. "People are rarely held accountable for their actions, enabling grand corruption to persist." The Nation newspaper reported on Sunday that proceeds from the Anglo-Leasing scam were intended to fund a campaign in favour of a proposed new constitution, which was rejected in a referendum last November. Money was also needed to fund the ruling coalition's political projects, it added. The government has denied these claims. "The government has never and will never sanction corrupt or irregular deals to finance politics," said a statement by Martha Karua, the minister of justice and constitutional affairs, on Sunday. "In the case of Anglo-Leasing, there are ongoing prosecutions in court, and the government urges [the] Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to expeditiously complete their investigations and bring this matter to a close," she added. The Kenyan government has been plagued by allegations of high-level graft. In 2005, the United States government withheld $2.5 million in aid to the country's anti-corruption campaign until it "could gain a clear picture of the government's true intentions." Meanwhile, four provincial administration officials from Kenya's northern region have been suspended over the mishandling of relief-food distribution to 3.5 million people in the drought-stricken districts of Garissa, Mandera, Marsabit and Wajir, according to local media reports. "In some cases, there has been misallocation of resources and failure to respond effectively to the emergency situation," John Michuki, the minister in charge of provincial administration, was quoted as saying. "There has also been failure by the district commissioners to work efficiently with the committees entrusted with the responsibility of food distribution," he added.