Tobiko clears one Uhuru dossier file for prosecution in graft war

Politics and policy

Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko. Photo/FILE 

By GERALD ANDAE

In Summary

• The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Thursday said that a technical team at the DPP’s office cleared seven of the 25 files and Mr Tobiko directed that one case be prosecuted.
• The case involved senior officers from the Nairobi County and analysts reckon that alleged graft cases that were contained in a dossier presented to Parliament by President Uhuru Kenyatta would face difficulties in prosecuting given the few files approved.
• Five Cabinet secretaries, 12 governors, principal secretaries, heads of State corporations and other high-level government officials are among those facing possible prosecution over graft allegations.

Director of Public Prosecution (DPP) Keriako Tobiko has only cleared one out of the 25 files handed to him by anti-graft agency touching on politicians, Cabinet secretaries and parastatal chiefs for prosecution.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Thursday said that a technical team at the DPP’s office cleared seven of the 25 files and Mr Tobiko directed that one case be prosecuted.

The case involved senior officers from the Nairobi County and analysts reckon that alleged graft cases that were contained in a dossier presented to Parliament by President Uhuru Kenyatta would face difficulties in prosecuting given the few files approved.

“In one of the files, the DPP gave his consent to charge the suspects who were arraigned on April 17,” Halakhe Waqo, the EACC chief executive officer said in a statement.

Five Cabinet secretaries, 12 governors, principal secretaries, heads of State corporations and other high-level government officials are among those facing possible prosecution over graft allegations.

The suspended Cabinet secretaries include Felix Koskei (Agriculture), Davis Chirchir (Energy), Michael Kamau (Transport) Charity Ngilu (Land) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour) as well as several managing directors of the State firms. The ministers and parastatal chiefs have since stepped aside.

EACC has already grilled the five ministers as well as four principal secretaries together with Nairobi and Mombasa Governors. Nairobi senator Mike Sonko Mbuvi has also appeared before the EACC about the graft list.

“The Commission assures Kenyans that the process is progressing well. We will endeavour to achieve our targets subject to complexity of the investigations,” he said.

Mr Waqo also cautioned the suspects to shun political supporters during summonses. President Kenyatta in March gave EACC 60 days to investigate and forward files for prosecution.