Wikileaks: Principals accused of covering up scandals

File | Nation Prime Minister Raila Odinga (right) with US ambassador Michael Ranneberger at a past function. 

By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Tuesday, March 1 2011 at 22:00

In Summary

• Leaked US embassy cables claim principals’ families and aides were involved in scams

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga took little action to punish people linked to scandals last year because they were close to them, leaked US embassy cables claim.

The cables claim the two principals “sacrificed” some permanent secretaries to hoodwink the public that action was being taken.

“It seems the maize scandal touches the families of both President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga and key members of their teams,” US ambassador Michael Ranneberger wrote.

Mr Ranneberger was referring to the suspension of four permanent secretaries among other top government officials in February last year over the maize and free primary education funds scandals.

No members of the principals’ families were publicly implicated in subsequent investigations.

Those suspended were Dr Romano Kiome (Agriculture), Mr Ali Mohamed (Special Programmes), Prof Karega Mutahi (Education) and Dr Mohammed Isahakia (Office of the Prime Minister). Others were the PM’s chief of staff Caroli Omondi, National Cereals and Produce Board boss Gideon Misoi and top managers.

The permanent secretaries have been reinstated after they were cleared following an investigation.

According to Mr Ranneberger, the two principals opted to suspend the officials to fend off growing public pressure over the two scandals.

“Faced with growing pressure, Kibaki and Odinga saw joint interest in taking limited action and on February 13, the government announced that a number of officials were being suspended for three months while investigations took place into the maize and education scandals,” Mr Ranneberger wrote.

He also says Mr Odinga’s decision to suspend ministers William Ruto and Sam Ongeri over the scandals was aimed at diverting attention from the pressure he was facing at the time over the maize scandal.

“At the time he made his dramatic February 14 statements, Odinga was facing serious pressure on both the corruption and constitutional review issues,” Mr Ranneberger wrote.

President Kibaki, on the other hand, could have been advised by Mr Uhuru Kenyatta not to take action against Mr Ruto because of the political alliance of the two, wrote Mr Ranneberger.

“Kibaki, like Odinga, wants to be seen as spearheading anti-corruption actions. He may have calculated that sacrificing senior personnel short of ministers would placate the public,” said the envoy.

“At the same time, Kibaki is likely to be urged by Uhuru not to take action against Ruto, since the two are working closely together, possibly with a view toward the 2012 presidential elections,” he went on.

The envoy revisited a conversation he had with Public Service head Francis Muthaura who allegedly informed him that no decision had been reached between the two principals to suspend Prof Ongeri and Mr Ruto.

But in a subsequent conversation between the envoy and Mr Odinga, the latter insisted that the decision had been reached after consultations.

“Odinga told the ambassador that he consulted Kibaki on the suspensions, but he quickly added that whether or not Kibaki had agreed makes no difference, since Odinga has the authority to suspend the ministers,” stated the reports.

“I have the constitutional authority to coordinate and supervise the ministers,” said Mr Odinga. “That authority amounts to nothing if I do not have the authority to suspend ministers,” the PM reportedly told Mr Ranneberger.