By KITAVI MUTUA kmutua@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, October 30 2010 at 21:30
Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday publicly defended Water minister Charity Ngilu against corruption allegations in her ministry.
Mr Odinga also dismissed reports that Mrs Ngilu was favouring her Ukambani region. “Mrs Ngilu has done a great job in her docket. I want to assure her that I’ll fully defend her against the witch-hunt by her political detractors,” Mr Odinga told a public rally at the Kitui Municipal Stadium.
“Don’t be cowed by anyone, you have done nothing wrong. I know your good record and will stand by you in the event you are called to account.”
While he stressed that the government would not relent in its fight against corruption, Mr Odinga warned that the fight was getting personal, to the extent of punishing Cabinet ministers.
He said there was nothing wrong with Ukambani getting water projects adding that Mrs Ngilu, in initiating many such projects, acted in the spirit of affirmative action. “It is perfectly in order to allocate more resources in regions where water scarcity is more severe,” the PM said.
“ODM gave the Water docket to Mrs Ngilu because, as a woman, she better understood the suffering of rural women who trek long distances in search of the commodity and (because) she hailed from a region deficient in water.”
The minister recently appeared before Parliament’s Committee on Equal Opportunities to explain claims of bias and regional impartiality in resource allocation by her ministry.
The PM’s backing of his Ukambani political kingpin came just a day after he had met with the director of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission, PLO Lumumba and assured him of the government’s support in the fight against corruption.
Last Friday, Public Works assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri, who until recently was Mrs Ngilu’s assistant, alleged that he was moved after blowing the whistle on corrupt deals at the Water ministry.
Mr Kiunjuri, who was replaced by Embakasi MP Ferdinand Waititu in a mini-reshuffle two weeks ago, said the government was reluctant to act on corrupt dealings even after they have been reported. He said he had evidence to support his allegations.
Mrs Ngilu and Mr Waititu dismissed claims by Mr Kiunjuri as propaganda driven by malice and envy of the “excellent work” at the ministry.
“All my actions at the ministry are well justified and I’ll not be intimidated to slow my work by threats by some people to investigate me,” Mrs Ngilu said.
She added: “As far as water issues are concerned, Ukambani region has been marginalised for far too long and hence I think its warranted to boost budgetary allocation to sort the water scarcity.”
On Saturday, Mr Odinga toured various water projects in Kitui county undertaken by Tanathi Water Services Board. His defence of the minister came in the wake of revelations by Dr Lumumba that at least four Cabinet ministers and many state corporation chiefs will soon be arraigned in court to answer corruption charges.
It also comes barely a month after Tanathi Water Services Board chief executive officer Joseph Nzesya was sent on compulsory leave as KACC launched investigations into alleged misuse of public funds at the parastatal.
Last week, Dr Lumumba held separate meetings with President Kibaki and Mr Odinga, where he outlined his plans for the KACC. He is said to have told the duo of his zeal to tackle grand corruption.
President Kibaki is said to have told him he would back him in the execution of his duties. The President followed up the meeting with statements during the opening of the Prime Minister’s new office that were widely thought to have been a warning to ministers implicated in corruption.
“All relevant government departments have been instructed to speedily conclude any pending cases of corruption.” The President’s words were especially loaded because they were delivered only hours before a crucial debate in Parliament over the conduct of Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula and his permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi.
The pair stepped aside before the conclusion of debate on a departmental committee report which found that over Sh1 billion of taxpayers money had been lost in missions abroad.
The duo’s exit, which came just over a week after Higher Education minister William Ruto had been suspended over his role in a suspect forest land deal, has renewed attention to the war against corruption.
Law Society of Kenya secretary Apollo Mboya said they were cautiously optimistic that state organs were beginning to take the fight against corruption seriously.
“We are happy with the start PLO has made as KACC director. But most of the issues he is acting upon at the moment had been forwarded to the commission quite some time ago. Even as we welcome the new zeal displayed by the leadership of the commission, questions are bound to be asked about the record of those who held fort before the latest appointment.”
A source close to the President said Mr Kibaki was concerned that some ministers were preparing for life outside Cabinet by engaging in high-level corruption.
The new Constitution has an entire chapter on integrity and leadership. Parliament is expected to pass legislation to operationalise Chapter 6, which might mean a number of high profile figures would be locked out of the race for the presidency in 2012.
Ministers implicated in graft scandals, for example, will not be eligible to run for election as MPs. Article 99 (2, h) states a person is disqualified from being elected a member of Parliament if the person “is found, in accordance with any law, to have misused or abused a State office or public office or in any way to have contravened Chapter 6 (on leadership and integrity).
Hassan Omar, a commissioner with the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission, said the organisation would work with MPs to draft the enabling legislation to weed out corrupt public officers.
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