Mombasa Governor Hassan Joho (in red tie) accompanied by his lawyer
Ahmednasir Abdullahi address journalists at EACC offices at Integrity
centre on April 21, 2015 where he was grilled. Governors whose names are
on the ‘List of Shame’ have to wait longer to know their fate as
investigations have not been concluded. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION
MEDIA GROUP
Governors whose names are on the ‘List of Shame’ that President
Uhuru Kenyatta presented to Parliament are still under investigations
and none of them has been charged or cleared.
Files of the 12 are said to be either among the 68 still at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) offices which, according to the commission, are under ‘active investigations’ or in another lot of 35 currently undergoing ‘evidence analysis’ by the EACC legal team and would be forwarded to the DPP “in due course”.
The
governors who have all appeared before EACC for grilling will have to
wait longer to know their fate after the agency asked for more time to
wrap up investigations.
Although Murang’a Governor
Mwangi Wa Iria was not mentioned in the list, he has become the first
one to be charged by EACC over claims of swearing a false document in a
criminal case three years ago.
He has, however, managed to stop the commission from trying him.
Governors
who have appeared before the EACC include Dr Evans Kidero (Nairobi), Mr
Ali Hassan Joho (Mombasa), Mr Isaac Ruto (Bomet), Mr Samuel ole Tunai
(Narok), Mr Okoth Obado (Migori), Mr Amason Kingi (Kilifi), and Mr Peter
Munya (Meru).
Others are Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos),
Mr Nadhif Jama (Garissa), Mr Godana Doyo (Isiolo), Mr Ukur Yattani
(Marsabit) and Mr Cyprian Awiti (Homa Bay).
EACC chief executive officer Halakhe Waqo said none of them has been cleared.
“The impression that some have been cleared is misleading,” he said.
“They will only be declared free once all claims have been fully investigated and they are vindicated.”
On
March 5, Dr Kidero became the first county head to appear before the
commission and was questioned on several issues, ranging from his tenure
as the CEO of Mumias Sugar Company, where millions are said to have
been lost, to his current position in which he has been accused of
breaking procurement rules.
He was questioned on the Sh280 million allegedly paid to a law firm when he was the CEO at Mumias Sugar Company.
BRIBERY ALLEGATIONS
He
was also asked to shed light on allegations that members of the
parliamentary Committee on Agriculture were bribed by an unnamed sugar
company boss to water down a report.
The EACC
detectives at the same time asked Dr Kidero to explain two memorandums
of understanding that he signed with two companies to provide mass
transport in the city.
The governor was also required
to shed light on the Sh600 million State House land deal after court
documents showed that Land Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu and Dr Kidero
colluded with lawyers and fraudsters to take away the two-acre prime
piece of land that is being claimed by Myta Development Limited, a firm
owned by Mr Hailu Asfaw, an Ethiopian national.
Dr
Kidero was also required to say what he knew of the Sh8 billion Karen
land saga, and although he is yet to be charged for any of the
allegations, five of his senior officials have been investigated by the
commission and were charged in court on April 2.
Mr Joho also had his date with the EACC in relation to the allocation of the Mwembe Tayari Market to two individuals. He has, however, denied the allegations and is yet to be charged or cleared.
DAILY NATION.
DAILY NATION.