Intrigues on how cartels manipulated in Kenya

Nairobi, Kenya - President Uhuru Kenyatta’s much-hyped war on graft faces threats from a well-connected cartel of wealthy businessmen, influential power-brokers, MPs and political operatives with direct links to State House, The Standard on Saturday can reveal.

 

In fact, the suspension of the Ethic and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chair and his deputy came amid allegations of a plot to sell the Integrity Centre in Nairobi and claims that some big names bribed their way out of President Kenyatta’s ‘list of shame’.

Indeed, pundits say the fall of the commission, an agenda believed to have been driven by graft linkages, could be the latest biggest achievement by corruption networks.

Even the secretariat is in shambles, the deputy chief executive Michael Mubea is already on suspension while the chief executive Halakhe Waqo is fighting for his life.

Prof. Mutahi Ngunyi, a political analyst, believes the fight against corruption in the country is a ‘systemic failure’ that has refused to come to an end.

“The problem is two-fold. One is that corruption guys are actually appointed to fry the small fish. But they go into office believing they can fry the big fish. The moment they start frying the big fish, then they become the target,” he said.

“In my view, the problem is not even corruption; the problem is that of systemic failure. When they get in there, they start fighting the symptoms without realising the monster is right in the back ground. Basically the monster organises to finish them. It becomes a vicious cycle,” he added.

The suspended EACC chairman Mumo Matemu and the secretariat head have stated before that the institution has been infiltrated by corruption networks and thus, unable to function efficiently. The Standard on Saturday has pieced together an intricate plot that shows how the cartel plotted to bungle investigations into various graft cases.

Matemo’s troubles at the commission started after President Kenyatta directed the commission to ensure speedy and efficient investigations that would lead to recovery of Sh1.4 billion to First Mercantile Securities and Universal Satspace.

The two companies associated with Anglo Leasing cases had won court cases against Kenya in the UK and Switzerland.

This meant that EACC would open Anglo Leasing files to investigations and possible prosecution, a factor that landed Matemu in trouble.

Credible sources within the institution say shortly after an order to recover the money, external interferences from the corruption networks started hitting the commission, strange battles pitting the commission against the secretariat emerged leading to Wednesday events in Parliament that saw the commission finally collapse.

But as this happened, new interest emerged, issues surrounding ownership of the building that houses the commission evolved further complicating the operations of the institution.

Consequently, a seemingly desperate Matemu was on record having admitted graft networks had penetrated the institution. The chief executive wrote to the Head of State alluding to the same.

The battle finally spilled over to Parliament amid revelations that MPs are reportedly preparing a petition to oust the National Assembly’s Committee of Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi).

Deliver money

Mr Chepkonga’s crime is that he was together with two senior government officials from the State Law Office and another from State House who tried to coerce EACC vice-chair Irene Keino and former commissioner Prof Jane Onsongo to quit.

The push is connected to an investigation into a plot to sell the Integrity Centre.

The scam around ownership of the prime property sucked in a senior officer at the secretariat who has close links with corruption cartels.

It is this officer who reportedly worked closely with a prominent city lawyer to remove some names from the lists that was submitted to the president.

It is believed the same corruption networks played a big role in compiling this list.

It is understood that days before the list was submitted, the said lawyer would sit in a hotel near the Integrity Centre where candidates who had already been informed about the compilation of the list would deliver money to allegedly be protected.

A list of 175 names of people who did not know there was a ‘saviour’ who sat in the hotel before they were exposed or those who refused to comply had their fate sealed.

In fact, one of the senior officers being investigated is a bitter man after he was reportedly “time-barred”. The officer had sent an emissary to deliver the cash, but was allegedly turned away since the list had already been handed over to the President.

Those in the know believe the president did not know the machinations that had taken place before the list was submitted to him.

Both Matemu and Keino indeed told the National Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee that the list had actually been edited.

On the other hand, the commissioners are being targeted to introduce a legal lacuna so that even if the investigations into Anglo Leasing cases and 175 names were to proceed and reason for prosecution established, there will be no “commission” to ask the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko to act.

The Standard on Saturday can also authoritatively report that a petition for the removal of Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) and Nyokabi (Nyeri County MP) is in circulation.

“Members are already collecting signatures. We are not happy with the way the two have been running the affairs of the committee. They seem to have been compromised,” said a Jubilee MP, who is among those supporting the removal of the two.

There is further petition for the removal of Solicitor General Njee Muturi and the President Legal Advisor Abdulkadir Mohammed following claims that they prevailed upon Onsongo and Keino to resign and promised them ambassadorial positions.

So, did EACC dupe the President when he made public the sensational confidential report linking top government official in graft or it was a scheme to get rid of the commissioners.

The controversial list of shame that has seen many government officials, including five Cabinet secretaries step aside, even as the name of a top renowned lawyer’s name is adversely mentioned to have spearheaded the exercise.