Minister Ngilu hospitalised in London

By Mutinda Mwanzia
Water Minister Charity Ngilu is recuperating in a London hospital where she was admitted five days ago for a routine medical check up.
The minister sought treatment abroad after she allegedly discharged herself from a Nairobi hospital claiming her life was in danger.
Ngilu alleged that suspicious persons had attempted to gain entry into her VIP ward without her permission as required raising suspicions about their motive.
The Standard confirmed from multiple sources that Ngilu had sought treatment abroad citing her security.
"The minister is abroad but fine. She wanted to recuperate without any pressures," said a source close to the minister.
Water Assistant Minister Ferdinard Waititu also confirmed to The Standard on Saturday that Ngilu was out of the country but did not elaborate.
Alleged graft"She will be back soon but I cannot confirm when," said Waititu when reached on phone from Eldoret where he was attending a presidential function.
Ngilu has been on the spot in the past three months following a probe by the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) in connection with alleged graft in parastatals under her ministry.
KACC has centered its investigators on alleged conflict of interest in award of tenders and contracts to companies associated with her.
The anti-corruption body has also sought insight into irregular procurement and tendering procedures in the construction of dams and sinking boreholes.
Former Water Assistant Minister Mwangi Kiunjuri sparked off the claims of a corruption scandal in the ministry after he was moved from the docket in October following a cabinet mini-reshuffle.
Kiunjuri, who was later moved to the Public Works ministry, launched an official complaint with the anti-graft body over the award of contracts at the ministry saying they were not transparent and could have led to huge losses of public money.
Kiunjuri also claimed there was nepotism in the award of tenders.
Undocumented claimsHe alleged that up to eight companies and a non-governmental organisation that had close links with the minister had done business with the ministry.
Ngilu, however, tore into Kiunjuri’s allegations, terming them a case of sour grapes adding she refused to clear the payment of undocumented claims stretching to millions of shillings which had been presented by a contractor in July last year and which her former assistant had interests.
Last week, Ngilu accused KACC Director PLO Lumumba of witchhunt saying Lumumba had ignored her letter dated December 15, 2010 asking for the specific information on investigations in the ministry the body wanted her to furnish it with.
Ngilu said instead the director had continued to feed the Kenyan public with "falsehoods aimed at maligning my name and portraying me in negative light to make way for your intended action or inaction".
"My conclusion here is that there is no investigation being undertaken by your organisation but rather a witchhunt," Ngilu said in the letter copied to President Kibaki, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Attorney General Amos Wako and Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura.
She said to the best of her knowledge, "KACC’s constitutional mandate was to undertake full and fair inquiry and not to skew its work so as to tarnish the names of those it was investigating before they have the opportunity to respond legitimately to the purported concerns of your organisation."
Ngilu also said she has on several occasions raised key corruption issues with KACC within her ministry and parastatals, but they had not been any response from the anti-graft body.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga has also defended the minister, arguing that she had committed no wrong in providing water to the people of Ukambani.