Charity Ngilu, Kazungu Kambi and Francis Kimemia step aside to allow for probe

Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi speaks to journalists on March 29, 2015 in his office in Nairobi where he announced that he was leaving office to make way for investigations into corruption allegations against him. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI |  NATION MEDIA GROUP

In Summary

• Five ministers have heeded Uhuru’s order to quit.
• Lands CS was out of the country when President issued directive last Thursday.

By JOHN NJAGI
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Two Cabinet secretaries and a high-ranking government official on Sunday heeded President Kenyatta’s directive to step down to pave the way for their investigation by the anti-corruption watchdog.

Charity Ngilu, a one-time presidential candidate and one of the most successful women in politics, stepped aside as Cabinet secretary for Lands.

Her Labour counterpart, Kazungu Kambi, also obeyed the suspension orders even as he protested his innocence.

Francis Kimemia, secretary to the Cabinet, and a powerful Office of the President mandarin over the past 15 years, also bowed out.

This brings to five the number of Cabinet secretaries who have left office to be investigated over corruption, and follows Mr Kenyatta’s State of the Nation address on Thursday during which he directed those named in a dossier to temporarily leave office.

The suspensions represent the most notable Cabinet bloodbath in connection with corruption since the Anglo Leasing scandal was exposed in 2006.

The dossier has named 175 public officials, including powerful governors, who the President insists must leave office until they are cleared of all allegations.

The Cabinet suspensions now turn the pressure on the governors, MPs and other public officials named in the corruption report to follow suit.

Agriculture Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei was the first to step aside, followed by Transport CS Michael Kamau and Energy CS Davis Chirchir.

Mrs Ngilu was out of the country when the dossier, to be tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, was handed over to the two Speakers.

LAND GRABBING SCANDALS

In a brief statement from the President’s communication team, Ms Ngilu announced she was stepping aside to allow for ongoing investigations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) “in line with President Uhuru Kenyatta’s directive”.

The statement also said the President had instructed Information Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i to act in her place.

Mrs Ngilu, the most high-profile minister to be swept out of office, has had several land-grabbing scandals occur under her watch, including the Sh8 billion Karen land scandal.

Her name was also mentioned in the State House Road land saga, and she was publicly rebuked by President Kenyatta over her handling of the Lang’ata Primary School land-grab.

Since assuming office, she has also been involved in incessant fights with National Land Commission chairman Muhammad Swazuri, but has also taken credit for cleaning up the lands registry.

NSSF SCANDALS

In a press briefing on Sunday, Mr Kambi admitted there was corruption in the national pensions agency, even as he stepped aside to allow investigations over his alleged involvement.

Mr Kambi said he had tried to fight graft at the National Social Security Fund (NSSF) and that the institution was not where he found it when he took leadership of the ministry slightly over two years ago.

“Corruption at the NSSF is something that has been known for years, even before I became the Cabinet secretary, but I have tried to fight it, which has even resulted in some heads rolling.”

The NSSF has been embroiled in mega scandals, including the inflated Sh5 billion Tassia II project, and recently, the awarding of Sh130 billion secret tenders for two projects, which are being investigated by the EACC over claims that procurement rules were breached.

However, at a press conference announcing his stepping aside at the Labour Ministry headquarters at the NSSF building, Mr Kambi said he was not aware of the corruption allegations levelled against him, and was awaiting the tabling of the confidential report in Parliament on Tuesday to know what he was being accused of.

Like his colleagues who have also stepped aside, Mr Kambi said he had been informed by State House that his name was on the list.

WELCOMED MOVE

Meanwhile, Mr Kimemia also announced on Sunday he was stepping aside after he was named on the list of shame.

He said he welcomed the move by the President to ask public officials who had been named to step aside for 60 days to allow investigations.

Mr Kimemia, one of the few top-ranking officials who were carried over from the Kibaki administration, said he was confident the anti-corruption detectives would conduct thorough investigations, even as he maintained his innocence.

“As I step aside for the next 60 days, I do so with a clear conscience and humility: the two principles that have always guided me through the many years of dedicated and selfless duty in the public service,” Mr Kimemia said in a statement to newsrooms.