President Uhuru Kenyatta has once again called on governors mentioned in the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission report in connection to corruption to step aside to allow for investigations.

By Lisa Kamau

The president was speaking during the launch of the Diaspora Investment Conference at Windsor Golf and Country Club in Nairobi.

President Kenyatta said that an accusation does not mean one is guilty, saying that it was important for people in government to step aside so as not to interfere with the investigations.

“I cannot fire people until they are proven guilty, I went through the same ordeal,” said he.

He said that he tabled the report as he had received it, adding that if his name was contained in the report he would have tabled it still.

The head of state said that stepping aside and letting investigations be done is the best way to prove innocence and all the accused should be happy to do so.

NOT POLITICS

He further asked Kenyans not to politicize the war on corruption, saying that corruption does not discriminate against ethnicity or political parties.

“Let us not use this situation to play politics, corruption is corruption and affects you no matter where you come from or what your political party is,” he said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta last Thursday, during his state of the nation address, directed that all officials of the national and county governments mentioned in the report in connection to corrupt dealings step aside to allow for investigations.

Following this directive, five cabinet secretaries and one parastatal have stepped aside.

The EACC dossier containing the names of leaders implicated in corruption was tabled on Tuesday at the Senate.

The EACC dossier implicated 13 governors, two senators, 61 MPs and three permanent secretaries in corruption scandals.

The report was tabled by Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki who has called on governors implicated in the dossier to step aside.

In the dossier, Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu is accused of inflating the value the controversial Waitiki Farm in Mombasa by Sh110 million with an aim of getting a kick-back of Sh65 million.

CONTROVERSIAL TENDER AWARDS

Suspended Agriculture CS Felix Koskei is accused of flouting tendering procedures by secretly allocating permits to sugar importers.

Suspended Labour CS Kazungu Kambi is accused of being involved in the controversial NSSF Tassia-2 project which was inflated from Sh3 billion to Sh5 billion.

Suspended transport CS Michael Kamau is accused of manipulating road tender awards for his own benefit.

Suspended Energy CS Davis Chirchir is accused of attempting to influence award of tender of Kenya Pipeline Company to Sinopec instead of Zakhem which was to cost USD50 million.

All members of the Parliament Public Accounts Committee and Agriculture Committee have also been implicated.