FPE ghost returns to haunt Ongeri

Written By:Graham Kirwa/Glena Nyamwaya,    Posted: Wed, Jun 15, 2011

Prof. Ongeri has once again found himself sailing a rough tide battling the ghost of graft allegations surrounding FPE funds Ikolomani Member of Parliament Bonny Khalwalwe wants Education Minister Prof. Sam Ongeri to take political responsibility and resign over the 4.2 billion shillings scandal in his ministry. In seeking a ministerial statement, Khalwale wants the minister to table before Parliament the full list of officers implicated in the theft of the Free Primary Education (FPE) funds and what action he has taken against them. Khalwale is also seeking the names of head teachers and schools that were involved in the scandal and what action has been taken against the said teachers Prof. Ongeri. who was once saved by the President after his purported sacking by Prime Minister Raila Odinga is now facing the Ikolomani MP who is famed for sweeping Trade Minister Amos Kimunya to the cold of the backbench through his motion of no confidence. On Monday, Treasury handed to the Criminal Investigations Department an audit report of the missing 4.2 billion shillings with names of possible culprits involved in the scam. The report has seen the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission director PLO Lumumba call for resignation of the Minister and his Permanent Secretary citing poor leadership that leaves loopholes for graft. Forensic report faulty   And the Kenya National Association of Parents (KNAP) has issued a 21-day notice to the Ministry of Finance to release a full report on the missing 4.2 billion shillings from the FPE kitty. Through Secretary General Musau Ndunda, the parents' association also demanded a statement from Education Minister Prof. Sam Ongeri and Permanent Secretary Prof. James Ole Kiyiapi on what exactly could have gone wrong. Mr. Ndunda said his association has corroborative documents it wants to compare with details in the report once it is released for public scrutiny, adding that the audit conducted by Treasury was not conclusive. The Secretary General further said he has copies of cheques, vouchers and bank statements that show the total sum of the Kenya Education Sector Support Program funds stolen as 5.5 billion shillings and not the figure stated by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta. Ndunda said it was KNAP that blew the whistle on misappropriation of funds by education ministry officials in 2009 but the latter denied the claims terming them as mere allegations. He wondered why Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission boss P.L.O Lumumba was demanding the resignation of both the minister and PS yet he reserved the right prosecuted them if he thought they were involved in the scan. Ndunda was however quick to defend Prof. Kiyiapi, saying that he was not the PS when the scam was mooted. "This is a very serious scandal and we request the President and Prime Minister to stamp their authority," he demanded. He called for an independent audit into the scandal saying that the list of names of those implicated left out many people. Mr. Ndunda also demanded that property of those implicated be frozen apart from arraignment in court of the architects of the multi-billion shilling scam. Ndunda warned that KNAP will release the full report if treasury does not publicize the full report in the 21 days. Donors call for prosecution Meanwhile UK envoy to Kenya Rob Macaire lauded the forensic analysis but emphasized the need for the government to prosecute those implicated. Macaire said Britain would only go back to allocating funds for FPE to the government instead of Non- Governmental Organizations once all risks of possible graft are alleviated. "We want to see the people who stole this money forced to pay it back. It's absolutely shocking that civil servants entrusted with the education of Kenya's children should steal that money," he said.