Water Minister Charity Ngilu at her office at Maji House Nairobi in November 2010. She refuted claims by Mwangi Kiunjuri that there was corruption in her ministry. Photo/WILLIAM OERI
By KITAVI MUTUAPosted Saturday, December 4 2010 at 17:31
Embattled Water minister Charity Ngilu on Saturday dared President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to sack her over corruption allegations in her Water ministry.
Mrs Ngilu said she had no apologies to make for what she described as “correcting historical injustices and fighting marginalisation” in allocating water to her Ukambani region.
“Am ready to face the sack and go down in history as having suffered for serving my people diligently. I have no apologies for allocating more funds towards water projects in my backyard,” she said.
However, Mrs Ngilu tactfully avoided mentioning the corruption allegations which are being investigated by the Parliamentary Committee on Natural Resources that is chaired by Gachoka MP Mutava Musyimi.
The minister told mourners at Mutendea village in her Kitui central constituency that she almost declined her appointment to the Water docket in early 2008 because she knew it was a major political trap which could be used against her.
“I knew my appointment was a double edged political trap. If I fail to eliminate water insecurity in Ukambani, I’ll be blamed from all over because I come from this region, likewise now that I have sufficiently addressed the problem, am now being accused of bias and favouritism” she said.
She said that if other leaders in the region were as aggressive as she had been in fighting for the interests of the Kamba community, the region would not be lagging behind in development.
“When I was given the Water docket, I knew I’ll face these accusations because I hail from a water deficit region but am ready to stand by the suffering rural women who trek long distances in search of the commodity”, she said.
“It is perfectly in order to allocate more resources in regions where water scarcity is more severe than others naturally endowed with the resource,” she added.
The minister said it was a pity that those accusing her of nepotism came from regions endowed with adequate rainfall yet Kamba leaders had maintained a studious silence over the matter.
She urged Kamba leaders to stand by her and defend the justification for her region getting enhanced resources towards water projects.
The minister recently appeared before the Parliamentary Equal Opportunities committee chaired by Nominated MP Mohammed Affey to explain claims of bias and regional impartiality in her Water ministry.
The minister has been on the spotlight over claims of awarding contracts to firms closely linked to her family members, which are being investigated by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission.
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