Good news for Koskei, Chirchir, Sonko, Tunai and even Kamau

Politics and policy

From left: Nairobi senator Mike Sonko and suspended Cabinet secretaries Michael Kamau, Davies Chirchir and Felix Koskei. PHOTOS | FILE 

By BDAfrica.com REPORTER and EDWIN MBUTHIA

Posted  Friday, June 5  2015 at  16:50

In Summary

• Tobiko’s office has received 28 files so far and approved prosecution of 74 people mentioned in 17 of those files.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has recommended the closure of key investigation files on suspended Cabinet secretaries Felix Koskei and Davies Chirchir.

Also likely to walk away unharmed is Narok Governor Samuel Tunai.

EACC reported a “lack of evidence” after inquiries into whether Mr Koskei issued sugar import permits irregularly, and whether Mr Chirchir influenced a tender award at the Kenya Pipeline Corporation.

The Agriculture CS had earlier been cleared of accusations he irregularly rented government land in Tigoni to plant potatoes.

The closure of the Chirchir file also benefits Nairobi senator Mike Sonko, who was accused of seeking a kickback alongside the Energy CS.

A file on whether Governor Tunai and two others were involved in human resources and procurement irregularities was also marked for closure.

The news was contained in a statement from the Director of Public Prosecutions Friday reporting the receipt of five new EACC files.

The anti-graft watchdog also recommended killing off an investigation into whether suspended Transport secretary Michael Kamau irregularly influenced the award of a lucrative contract linked to the standard gauge railway to the Landmark Clearing and Forwarding.

Kamau, the only ministerial casualty of the so-called ‘List of Shame’ investigations, appeared in court Thursday to plead to charges in another tender-related matter from his time as Transport PS.

READ: Transport CS Kamau pleads not guilty, released on Sh1mn bail

Eight Makueni county officials will be holding their breath after the EACC recommended their prosecution for exceeding the approved budget.

DPP Keriako Tobiko is expected to decide on whether to accept EACC’s recommendations on the five new files or not in the coming week.

Only one more investigation file against a Cabinet minister is thought to be at the investigation stage: that on corrupt deals involving the National Social Security Fund’s the Tassia Phase II project.

Labour CS Kambi has been cited as a suspect in the deal in which cost estimates were revised from Sh3.3 billion to Sh5 billion without the approval of NSSF’s Board of Trustees.

Tobiko’s office has received 28 files so far and approved prosecution of 74 people mentioned in 17 of those files. The DPP has also accepted EACC recommendations to close six files and varied those in some of the cases to include further investigations or other actions.
 

The closures have benefitted Kambi and Lands CS Charity Ngilu.

“As the DPP, I make my decisions based solely on evidence, facts and the law and in accordance with Article 157 of the Constitution and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions Act, 2013,” Tobiko says. “My decisions are made without regard to political, ethnic or other external considerations.