TEACHING-EMPOWERING-MENTORING-BUILDING OPPORTUNITY Mission: to partner with individuals and communities in Western Kenya to support entrepreneurial activities, education and health through training programmes, scholarships, water and sanitation projects

Friday, October 29, 2010

the corrupt are on the run

There are amazing things happening after the passing of the new constitution. One hardly knows in which direction to look, so many heads are rolling.
First of course, the International Criminal Court in the Hague is relentlessly pursuing its slow and steady course. There have been many attempts to use the Kenyan court system to expunge names or to declare that the ICC has no jurisdiction. The time for that is long past when Kenya did not establish its own tribunal. One article told us that a 'prominent person' has communicated with the Hague and volunteered to testify (confess?) to his or her part in the post election violence. There is apparently a guarantee (or at least a hope) that he will not be publicly arrested. Of course, we don't yet know who this is.
The Minister for Higher Education (William Ruto) has had to resign from Cabinet because he is implicated in a fraud case, despite his protests of not ever signing cheques, not sitting on committees, not overseeing contracts. So we wonder what exactly he is paid for.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs (Wetang'ula) has also stepped down because of a scandal about embassy properties in several countries where billions of shillings 'disappeared.'
The mayor of Nairobi has also had to stand aside while an investigation into corruption in the city goes on.
The Truth , Reconciliation and Justice Committee has been told it must do some meaningful work, basically get its act together in 72 hours, or the committee will be disbanded. This is after the second prominent person (in this case a foreign representative) resigned in frustration. This committee apparently employs 413 people as 'statement takers'. They will not lose their job, but it's to be hoped they will be used more realistically.
Now we hear that the Anti Corruption Committee is going to re-open inquiries into Anglo Leasing (where funds for new passport machinery went to a non-existent company in the UK) ; Goldenberg (where development funds were paid for non-existent exports) and the Free Primary Education (where donor funds never reached the schools).
There are some very nervous people in high places.

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