Fear Grips Kenya As Corruption Purge Gains Momentum

By Samuel Ouma [caption id="attachment_50122" align="alignleft" width="640"] President Uhuru Kenyatta[/caption] Top officials both at County and National levels are living in apprehension following the arrest and persecution of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojaamong over graft. Busia Chief and three of his ministers were nabbed on Thursday by the Ethics and Anti- Corruption officials and arraigned in Court on Friday over the alleged misappropriation of sh.8 million ($80000). They were released on a bail of sh.1 million ($10000) each. Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji has confirmed more leaders are about to be brought to book among of them being three Governors, National Cereals and Produce Board officials, Kenya Bureau of Standards officials including the Managing Director Charles Ongwae. “We have a number of files at different stages. As at now, I have completed those of two governors. We are also tightening lose ends for the fourth governor’s paper,” Haji reiterated. The anti-graft body is also targeting Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, forty seven county officials, parastatal heads, agency bosses and National Land Commission chairman Mohamed Swazuri and his deputy. “Almost all counties are under probe, with former and sitting Governors put under the microscope,” said Ethics and Anti-Corruption spokesperson Mr. Yassin Almaro. Embu Governor Martin Wambora failed to appear before the Anti-graft team for fear of being apprehended. According to Yassin Almaro, Mr. Wambora had agreed to appear before the team led by Halakhe Waqo but changed his mind when he learnt of his Busia counterpart arrest. Our sources have revealed that the current fight against corruption is led by a special unit, the Multi-Agency Task Team (MATT) headed by Attorney General Paul Kihara. The team is also on the verge of receiving polygraph machines that will be used in lifestyle audit ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Agencies working close with MATT are National Intelligence Service (NIS), Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Anti-Money Laundering Unit, Asset Recovery Agency, Anti Banking Fraud Unit, Financial Reporting Centre, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Anti-Counterfeit Body and Cybercrime Unit. Multi-Agency Task Team (MATT) is mandated to prosecute and freeze the bank accounts of those found culpable. The crackdown will also extend to their relatives and friends. Meanwhile, Attorney General Paul Kihara has called on corrupt officials to vacate the offices before the shocker fall on them. He castigated professionals like doctors, lawyers, politicians and architects for propagating the vice. While addressing convention of the Association of Professional Societies, he promised to wipe out corruption during his term. “We need to be considerate of the sweat, pain, tears and blood that were shed for a better Kenya. We cannot hold our heads high while influenced deals rob us of our patriotism, “said Mr. Kihara.