By LYNET OTIENO
Water Minister Charity Ngilu is in a spot over claims she corruptly awarded contracts to four firms she might have had links with.
Her former assistant in the Water Ministry, Mwangi Kiunjuri, won’t back down on his attacks, at least until President Kibaki took the Cabinet for a two-day retreat at the Coast and told all to stop washing their not-so-clean linen in public.
But still, when he reappeared before the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, Kiunjuri re-stated his allegations of corruption in the ministry and how his attempt to highlight it failed, and could have been the reason he was moved to the Public Works Ministry.
It is public knowledge Ngilu is minister for the said ministry, and not the Permanent Secretary, who should be awarding contracts as the accounting officer.
Why Ngilu is meant to answer the many questions about who was awarded what contracts when and how, should be a result of just being in the know of what PS David Stower did, in her capacity as the one in charge, not as the one who was more than involved in the act of awarding the contracts.
Then there is the issue of water projects concentrating in Ukambani than in any other part of the country and claims that prices of material to be used were doubled.
Without bias
Ngilu’s response on the distribution of dams and any other project, may not have been as polite. She stands ready to be sacrificed for saving Ukambani, a region that has suffered water problems with every passing regime.
Kenyans, however, look up to her and any other minister to serve them without bias. There have been other ministers in the docket before, and others are also in charge of ministries that would really benefit their people or villages if they decided to work in her style.
The appointing authority should have debriefed the minister before setting her free to handle the ministry in that manner.
How long was she going to concentrate on Ukambani? When was she expected to serve the rest of the country? What of North Eastern, Coast provinces and other parts that have suffered similar or even worse water problems?
This could be Ngilu’s polite way of seeking the support of her community. She won’t just use the words "my people are targeted" as others may have done before.
If that is the tactic Ngilu wants to apply, she should remember it might not hold for long.
This attitude is not expected of a politician of her caliber, one who has stood out as a national leader and a possible president. What ever happened to ethics? The most honourable thing that would help Ngilu politically, now that she has not announced any plans to remain politically dormant from 2012 is step aside to allow for a probe into Kiunjuri’s allegations.
Whether Ngilu is guilty or not is for another committee, commission or court to decide, but for the Kamba, however much they might have gained, they should be sober and resist any attempt to be drawn into matters arising from a few individuals’ decisions.
No flag yet
Ngilu should ask herself what would be if all ministers focused on their constituencies or communities. Think of areas where "no flag has ever flown" since Independence. The ministry could have been the best place for Ngilu to show her nationhood.
The writer is Deputy Chief Sub-Editor with The Standard. The opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of The Standard Group.
lawuor@standardmedia.co.ke