Four Cabinet ministers and at least 45 senior heads of parastatals are currently being investigated in connection with corruption and other related economic crimes, Kenya's Anti-Corruption Commission has announced.

The commission director PLO Lumumba however declined to name those facing the investigations, choosing to say that they will be named “in the fullness of time and that time may be very soon”.

Prof Lumumba indicated the KACC is investigating old affairs such as the Goldenberg cases, more recent ones such as the Anglo Leasing saga as well as recent cases such as the resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons and the importation of old vehicles.

“I think we are investigating no less than four Cabinet ministers and investigating no less than 45 heads of parastatals,” he told journalists at Strathmore University after a conference on ethics and sustainable development on Friday

“We are looking at closing down investigations and possible prosecution in the old cases, which you know about- Anglo Leasing, Goldenberg,” said Prof Lumumba.

The KACC has in the past been accused of failing to produce enough evidence for the successful prosecution of corruption cases, but Prof Lumumba was quick to protect the institution’s work this time round.

“This is a relay race. We run our leg and run it well and what others do in theirs is not within our prerogative,” he added.

The KACC has once again written to the British, Swiss and United States government in an effort to get to the bottom of the two cases, in which Kenya lost about Sh100 billion in shady contracts, phantom deliveries and outright theft.

In the past, the UK’s Serious Fraud Office said it had ceased investigations into the scandal after Kenyan authorities proved uncooperative.

Prof Lumumba’s remarks came at the end of a week that saw the resignation of three government officials over graft allegations, with one of them, the former Nairobi mayor, being hauled to court.

Former Foreign Affairs minister Wetang’ula and Permanent Secretary Thuita Mwangi have been forced out after being implicated by a Parliamentary Committee over the sale, purchase and construction of five of Kenya’s missions abroad.

The latest suspected corruption case involves the importation of vehicles older than eight years by unscrupulous dealers, who then use letters purportedly authored by the Industrialisation minister for their exemption.

KACC detectives have this week interviewed Industrialisation Permanent Secretary Dr Karanja Kibicho and other top officials of the ministry over the matter.

They have also interrogated Joseph Koskey, who is the new managing director of the Kenya Bureau of Standards and Dr Karanja Thiong’o, who is the chairman of the National Standards Council, Kebs’ board.

KACC is also investigating the scandal in which officers of the Provincial Administration are suspected of having used money meant for the resettlement of IDPs to buy property.

The resettlement was being handled by the Special Programmes, Internal Security and Provincial Administration and the Lands ministries.

At the conference, Prof Lumumba urged leaders under the new Constitution not to give in to the temptation to be corrupt or self-serving at the expense of public service.

Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg

On Thursday, KACC spokesman, Nicholas Simani, said fresh investigations have been launched into the country’s two biggest scandals — Anglo Leasing and Goldenberg — in a new anti-corruption drive.

The two scandals could have cost the taxpayer some Sh100 billion in over-invoiced contracts, phantom deliveries and outright theft.

New investigations target money stashed in foreign accounts, believed to be about Sh15 billion, part of which may have been proceeds from the two scandals.

The revelations came a day after former Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula and his permanent secretary, Mr Thuita Mwangi, resigned to pave way for investigations into the possible loss of Sh1.1 billion in the purchase of embassy buildings in Tokyo Japan.

The Anglo Leasing-type scandals involved contracts with a value of Sh18 billion.
Investigations follow a July court ruling that allowed the commission to seek foreign help in a bid to trace the billions banked abroad.