Kazungu Kambi claims corruption cartels behind case challenging his academic credentials

By Kurian Musa

Nairobi, Kenya: Labour Cabinet Secretary Kazungu Kambi claims corruption cartels are behind a court case against him challenging his academic credentials.

“I have made aggressive anti-corruption campaign and corruption cartels have on several occasions threatened me and waged an endless and vicious witch-hunt against me, this petition is clearly part of the witch-hunt,” Kambi said

The CS was appointed on June 5, 2013 after the approval of the National Assembly and has since been performing the tasks of the ministry.

He said the petitioner, Mr Charles Omanga, was being used as a pawn in a game he does not understand and that is the reason he makes wild speculative allegations against him that cannot be substantiated.

“The petitioner has failed to justify this petition as a constitutional matter,” Kambi said in a statement.

Kambi said through his court documents that he has been struggling to root out corruption cartels in his ministry.

The Cabinet Secretary has said corruption cartels are particularly notorious at the National Social Security Fund under his ministry.

Constitutional rights

Kambi said yesterday that the case against him was misconceived and masqueraded as an attempt to assert the constitutional rights of the petitioner.

“The procedure of removal of the Cabinet Secretary is provided for in the Constitution. And the power for appointing Cabinet secretaries rests with the Presidency and the National assembly,” read part of his statement. Article 152 (5) of the Constitution and section 41 (2) of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012 provides for the procedure of removing a Cabinet Secretary.

The CS asserts that the application has failed to show any erratic decision he has ever made or any misconduct he has engaged in while running his docket.

“The petitioner does not disclose with certainty the provisions of the Constitution violated,” reads his affidavit.

Further, Kambi says there were clear complaint channels during the vetting process into the docket, which Omanga failed to use and therefore the case in court was akin to subjecting him to re-vetting.

Omanga wants the court to find that Kambi is unfit to hold the office of Cabinet Secretary.