Friday, May 24th 2013, By Abdikadir SugowNAIROBI, KENYA: The fate of Head of Public Service Francis Kimemia in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s government hangs in the balance following serious integrity questions that threaten his nomination to serve as Secretary to the Cabinet.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission ( EACC) has written to the parliamentary vetting committee, informing the members that Kimemia is under investigation allegedly over questionable activities that could disqualify him from serving in any public or State office.
Eight other individuals out of the 66 who have been shortlisted for the position of Principal Secretary are also under investigation by the anti-corruption agency.
The EACC says it is probing mega-corruption deals implicating or associated with the office of Permanent Secretary in the powerful Civil Service docket, but has not specified to the committee the magnitude of the corruption cases for fear of prejudice.
“The candidate (Kimemia) is under investigations for mega corruption cases,” says the official letter addressed to the parliamentary vetting committee from the EACC headquartres at the Integrity Centre.
The anti-corruption agency says it will not divulge any further information in regard to the candidate as ‘all matters in which the officer (Kimemia) is implicated are being investigated,’ the letter read in part.
The letter from the anti-graft body was forwarded to the Clerk of the National Assembly, who certified it to confirm receipt.
On Friday, the National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi confirmed receipt of the letter.
Bundi later forwarded the same to the Director of Committees Florence Abonyo, who in turn transmitted the same to the Parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security.
Kimemia appeared before the committee yesterday. All the other shortlisted candidates for Principal Secretary and the remaining Cabinet Secretary nominees are set to appear before the committee.
President Uhuru on Thursday appointed former Assistant minister Kazungu Kambi as Labour Cabinet Secretary and hotelier Joseph ole Lenku as Cabinet Secretary for the Interior and Co-ordination of National Government, completing his Cabinet line-up of 18.
Impeccable sources within the anti-corruption commission revealed that Kimemia is being investigated in relation to some five cases, including a multi-billion development project at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi and allegedly obstructing justice by protecting senior government officers implicated in various corruption scandals.
The sources pointed out that any State or public service officer involved or mentioned in any corruption must step aside and should not hold any office, until the probe into the matter for which they have been accused is concluded and clearance provided by the EACC.
President Kenyatta nominated Kimemia as Secretary to the Cabinet after the Constitution abolished the Head of Public Service position.
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