Friday, January 27, 2012

Suspended ministers always get back jobs



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By NATION REPORTER
Posted  Thursday, January 26  2012 at  22:30
Five out of the eight ministers who have been forced out of Cabinet since Mr Mwai Kibaki became president in 2003 have made it back to the coveted posts.
Former Finance minister David Mwiraria and current Energy minister Kiraitu Murungi were the first to be forced out of the Cabinet in the Kibaki era as details of the Anglo Leasing scandal emerged in 2006.
Mr Mwiraria tendered his resignation in February after he was mentioned in the report on the scandal prepared by Governance and Ethics permanent secretary John Githongo.
Mr Murungi quit as Justice minister barely a week later with Prof George Saitoti, who was Education minister, following suit after being linked to the Goldenberg scandal of early 1990s.
The two made their return to Cabinet in November 2006, with Mr Murungi taking over the Energy docket he holds to date and Prof Saitoti named Education minister.
Mr Mwiraria made it back to the Cabinet in July 2007, when he was appointed Environment minister. He lost his parliamentary seat at the polls later that year and has since faded from the limelight.
Next on the list of Cabinet departures was Mr Amos Kimunya, who bowed to pressure from backbench MPs. He was censured over the controversial sale of the former Grand Regency Hotel in July 2008.
Mr Kimunya returned to the Cabinet as Transport minister in January 2009.
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Eldoret North MP William Ruto was also forced out in October 2010 over a case in which he was accused of fraud and later acquitted. He remains MP.
Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetang’ula also took the resignation route in October 2010 over questionable deals in Kenyan missions abroad.
He made it back in September 2011, with Prime Minister Raila Odinga successfully evading MPs’ queries on his controversial return.
Like Mr Ruto, Tinderet MP Henry Kosgey was in court locally and going through the initial stages of another at the International Criminal Court when he opted to resign in January 2011.
The case at the ICC has stopped but the local one goes on, thus he remains suspended.

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