President Uhuru: I wasn’t linked to any offshore account in Pandora expose

President Uhuru Kenyatta during a past public address. [File, Standard]

President Uhuru Kenyatta has said the October 3 Pandora expose did not directly link him to any offshore account or business.

The President also defended his family, saying no evidence has been produced suggesting any wrongdoing.

“My name was not there [in Pandora Papers as an offshore account holder]. There has been no mention of any illegality or wrongdoing on my part. As I said before, I would address that issue comprehensively when I return home,” Kenyatta said while responding to questions by journalists from international media on Tuesday, October 12.

The Kenyattas, including matriarch Mama Ngina Kenyatta and Uhuru’s younger brother Muhoho, were reported to own offshore accounts, allegations that the family is yet to confirm or deny.

The President, in a brief statement last week, said the Pandora expose would open the doors for audit to be conducted on Kenyan leaders who hold secret accounts in foreign countries.

The Head of State is on a two-day visit to New York, USA.

On Tuesday, Kenyatta chaired a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) high-level open debate on diversity, state building and peace.

Having assumed her position as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council on January 1, 2021 for a two-year period, Kenya currently holds the monthly rotational presidency of the Council for October 2021.

According to Kenya’s Permanent Representative to the UN Amb. Martin Kimani, Kenya's overriding agenda at the UN Security Council is to offer ideas and solutions to global peace and security in areas such as the Horn of Africa and the troubled Sahel region.