Anti-graft czar’s exit our achievement, say House teams

By Mutinda Mwanzia and David Ochami

Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on the Administration of Justice Mohammed Abdikadir has welcomed the resignation of former KACC Director Aaron Ringera.

Mr Abdikadir said the organisation needed to be reformed and that Ringera’s stay in office despite disapproval of his re-appointment had threatened to paralyse KACC.

Ringera, he said, should have read the mood of the country through Parliament after it rejected his re-appointment.

"MPs, as representatives of the people, made a decision and Ringera should have quit his position then to enable the organisation fill his position and that of his deputies," said Abdikadir.

He said KACC should be strengthened to enable it fight corruption, adding it was a cancer that threatened the country.

Abdikadir said Ringera’s exit should herald a new era at KACC, adding the vacant positions should now be advertised.

Ill-gotten wealth

"It is now up to the advisory board to give Parliament a name of an individual who will replace Ringera so that we can do the vetting process," said Abdikadir.

Speaking to The Standard yesterday, Abdikadir said KACC should not be added powers to prosecute suspects, as its mandate was purely to investigate corruption and recover ill-gotten wealth. He said the AG’s office should then prosecute suspects handed over by KACC.

He said the State law office should instead be revamped with the hiring of professional prosecutors. "That will leave the police to concentrate on its role of detection and prevention of crime and leave the rest to KACC and the AG," he said.

He opposed plans to disband KACC fronted by Garsen MP Danson Mungatana, who has promised to move a Motion on the matter.

"Ringera was the object of rejection at KACC and since he is now out, we must focus our energies on making the institution stronger in its operations," said Abdikadir.

At the same time, an MP who spearheaded annulment of Ringera’s reappointment has termed his resignation a triumph of the rule of law over impunity.

Historic annulment

Ms Amina Abdalla and Abdikadir prepared the report that recommended the historic annulment.

She chairs the Committee on Delegated Legislation, a new one she helped found. The committee was thrust into the limelight when President Kibaki reappointed Ringera KACC director and Fatuma Sichale the assistant.

Yesterday, she said the committee’s establishment was not in vain, adding in future, the right procedure would be followed when appointing public officers.

Amina said she had nothing personal against the two, but criticised suggestions that they could be appointed to the Judiciary as "soft landing".