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Four Kenyan cabinet secretaries, six principal secretaries and an ambassador have written to President Uhuru Kenyatta indicating that they have left office in-order to facilitate investigations into alleged corruption.
Energy CS Davis Chirchir, Labour CS Kazungu Kambi, Transport and Infrastructure CS Michael Kamau and Agriculture CS Felix Koskei and Kenya’s Deputy Head of Mission to South Africa Jane Waikenda have stepped aside over graft claims.
State House Spokesman Manoah Esipisu told a news conference held at State House that the President has appointed other CSs to act in their dockets pending probe.
President Kenyatta has now appointed Industrialization CS Aden Mohammed to replace Koskei in the Agriculture docket, Defence CS Raychelle Omamo to replace Kambi at the Labour Ministry, Treasury CS Henry Rotich to replace Chirchir at the Ministry of Energy and Health CS James Macharia to replace Kamau in Transport.
Esipisu also confirmed that Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Kimemia, Transport PS Nduva Muli, Mining PS Patrick Omutia, Water PS James Teko, Deputy President William Ruto’s Chief of Staff Marianne Kittany and Investments Secretary Esther Koimet have left office to allow probe.
The President has further directed nine parastatal boards to urgently convene a special board meeting to appoint acting officers for all named chief executives and other officers.
Others who agreed to step aside are AFC Chairman Patrick Osero, Geothermal Development Company MD Silas Simiyu, National Social Security Fund Managing Trustee Richard Langat, National Water Conservation and Pipeline Corporation acting CEO Evans Ngibuini, Kentrada CEO Alex Kabuga, Kenya Airports Authority MD Lucy Mbugua, Kenya Pipeline MD Charles Tonui and Tourism Fund/ Catering Levy Trustee Allan Chenane.
President Uhuru Kenyatta has reiterated that 12 governors under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) should step aside so as not to interfere with the process of either vindicating or damning them.
“As the President told Parliament, it is not his place to determine the guilt or otherwise of the state or public officers named in the ethics and anti-corruption report but that the time has come to send a strong signal to the country,” he said.
The Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) is accusing the presidency of using the Ethics and Ant-Corruption Commission to fight its political wars.
A statement by CORD leader Raila Odinga read by Busia Women Representative Florence Mutua claimed that the President omitted the names of his close allies and instead replaced them with those of individuals who were perceived to be enemies of the State and those seen not to be towing the party line.
Source: Capital News
