The clearing of four Cabinet secretaries by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is causing a nightmare for Jubilee MPs concerned that it has made the Government appear soft on fighting graft.
Yesterday, the MPs vowed to force the anti-graft body to conduct fresh investigations into the allegations against suspended Cabinet secretaries Davis Chirchir (Energy), Charity Ngilu (Lands), Felix Koskei (Agriculture) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour).
The MPs reiterated their claims last week that the EACC and the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko were damaging President Uhuru Kenyatta's mission to end corruption in the Government.
The four Jubilee MPs sensationally alleged that powerful individuals have influenced the outcome of ongoing probes to ensure no "big fish" are prosecuted and they vowed to lobby Parliament to press for fresh investigations.
They claimed business and political cartels even determine who should be prosecuted or cleared by the EACC.
But the MPs, Maina Kamanda (Starehe), Denis Waweru (Dagoretti South), John Njoroge (Kasarani) and John Gakuya (Embakasi North) threatened to name the influential personalities they claimed are derailing the war on corruption when the House reconvenes tomorrow.
"There is selective prosecution of the people allegedly involved in corruption. There are people who are using big money to determine who should be prosecuted. It is a concern for many people," claimed Kamanda.
"Names have been circulated of the people we believe are the driving force behind these dirty games at the DPP and EACC. We will name them on the floor of the House. EACC and the DPP are not acting independently," he added.
Waweru said the country risks losing the war on graft due to the alleged interference.
"Although the President has demonstrated political goodwill in fighting graft, there seems to be bottlenecks in the fight. We are asking the two offices to up their game. We as Jubilee MPs, are disappointed with the direction that the war on corruption is taking," he said.
He added: "All the cases that were in the President's list should be re-investigated. There is no way we are going to accept flawed investigations and unfair prosecutions. It is biased, unacceptable and we are watching them."
"It is the cartels that decide whether one is corrupt or not," claimed Njoroge.
The statements by the MPs come days after Solicitor General Njee Muturi denied that the anti-corruption agencies had fallen victim to corrupt machinations, and that some officers were using the investigations to solicit for bribes. The allegations were first made by House Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart Jakoyo Midiwo.
bring evidence
"We are disappointed with independent institutions dealing with the war against corruption. The war on corruption is far from being won because even some of these bodies do not meet the integrity threshold themselves," Duale claimed.
Yesterday, the majority leader did not immediately comment on the new allegations by the MPs, as he was on a flight back from Brussels, Belgium.
But Muturi challenged anyone with evidence to bring it forward instead of making blanket condemnations.
"The offices have worked commendably with 70 cases in court and it will be unfair to condemn them. In any case, these public officers like the DPP are vetted by Parliament and if there is any evidence it should be brought forth," Muturi said.
The allegations by the two House leaders now appear to be slowly taking a life of their own, with Waweru revealing that MPs opposed to the ongoing investigations and prosecutions would introduce a petition in Parliament demanding fresh investigations into the personalities that were named in the President's list of shame that he gave to Parliament over 60 days ago.
The National Assembly's Justice and Legal Affairs Committee is yet to receive a report on the progress of the investigations, ordered by the President during his State of the Nation address in March.
But speaking separately, Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said the EACC secretariat should be supported because they are "trying given the upheavals" adding he would ask Parliament to implement legal reforms to strengthen the secretariat.
Kuria suggested that the number of commissioners be increased from three to five and that they be hired on part time duty.
"Their role should be restricted to policies and oversight," Kuria said, alluding to the legal architecture that the ruling coalition may be toying with as recruitment of new commissioners gets underway after the three holders were forced out of office.
The office of the DPP has also cleared Nairobi Senator Mike Mbuvi.
