EACC clears Governor Hassan Joho of graft allegations in allocation of Mwembe Tayari market

Kenya: The anti-graft agency has cleared Mombasa Governor Ali Hassan Joho over corruption claims in allocation of Mwembe Tayari Market.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) also cleared businessmen Mohamed Abdullah Zubedi and Abdulhakim Abdullah Zubedi over claims they irregularly allocated the market to Nawal Business Centre.

EACC told the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Keriako Tobiko to close the file for lack of evidence.

Tobiko said he would independently review the file and make a decision based on evidence and law.

Joho was grilled by the commission in April. He had been accused of facilitating the grabbing of Mwembe Tayari market by the businessmen.

Joho was mentioned in a report prepared by the commission in connection with the allocation of the market.

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The report was handed to the President in March and he, in turn, handed it to Parliament and demanded that investigations against those mentioned adversely be conducted within 60 days.

Joho defended himself against the accusations of corruption, saying he was not involved in the allocation of the market.

He said the process to allocate the market was initiated and completed nearly 20 years ago, long before Mombasa became a county and before he became the governor.

He then threatened to sue the anti-corruption agency for what he said were defamatory allegations and for dragging him into a matter he was not aware of or privy to.

Joho said records show that the process of allocating the market land started with a letter dated August 12, 1996, and addressed to the then Municipal Council of Mombasa.

“The request in which the writer of the letter sought to be allocated the land in issue was given approval, and the council allowed to proceed with the allocation through approval given by the then Minister for Local Government,  Hon William ole Ntimama, on August 20, 1996,”  Joho said.

After the approval, the council issued the beneficiary with a letter of allotment on September 3, 1996. A 99-year sublease was issued following an agreement dated October 3, 1996, between the allottee and the council, and a Certificate of Lease was issued five days later.

The case is among those listed in the list of shame and was tabled in Parliament more than six months ago.

Most of the cases are still in the hands of the commission.