Top officials named in corruption probe

Senior government officials were on Tuesday named by a parliamentary anti-corruption select committee report as having been involved in corrupt deals, Kenyan newspapers reported. The list included Vice-President George Saitoti, influential cabinet minister Nicholas Biwott and other top officials, as well as Phillip Moi, the son of the president. The report was tabled in parliament and coincided with a visit to the country by an International Monetary Fund (IMF) team assessing whether reforms had been undertaken by the government in the financial and political sectors to allow the resumption of IMF loans, suspended in 1997. The report suggested, among other recommendations, that a partial amnesty be offered to officials who admit corruption within a year and pay back stolen money, the BBC reported. The head of civil service Richard Leakey, quoted by the BBC, said the report showed Kenya was serious about tackling graft, but cautioned that it dealt only with allegations. “I would think it very surprising if a lot of people mentioned didn’t face action, but we must do it by due process,” he said.