Global Policy Forum

Two weeks after Kenyan finance minister, David Mwiraria, resigned over allegations of involvement in corrupt acts, two other key ministers have resigned following similar claims against them. "I have today accepted the request by Prof George Saitoti to step aside from his responsibilities as minister for education in order to pave the way for investigations into the issues raised in the report of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into the Goldenberg affair," President Mwai Kibaki said in a televised statement on Monday.

"I have also accepted the request by Hon Kiraitu Murungi to step aside from his responsibilities as the minister for energy in order to allow full investigations into allegations made against him in regard to the Anglo-Leasing affair," Kibaki added.

The Goldenberg scandal, which took place in the 1990s when Daniel arap Moi was president, involved the theft of public funds through a bogus gold and diamond export scheme. It is thought to have cost the country more than 10 percent of its annual gross domestic product. In the Anglo-Leasing scandal, the government commissioned an allegedly non-existent company to print passports with improved security features and build a modern forensic laboratory for the police.

Last week, John Githongo, former ethics and governance permanent secretary, accused Murungi of asking him to "ease off" his inquiries into the Anglo-Leasing affair, and in exchange, a large loan his father had taken would "be made to go away". State House also confirmed on Monday that the contract of Alfred Getonga, Kibaki's senior deputy secretary, has not been renewed following its expiry. Getonga was also named in Githongo's report.

Other senior officials named in Githongo's dossier are Vice-President Moody Awori, who denies any wrongdoing, and Francis Muthaura, head of the public service. Another prominent Kibaki ally who was named is Chris Murungaru, who was dropped in a cabinet reshuffle in November 2005.

The resignations come amid public and donor pressure for the president to deal with the misuse of public funds that continues to blight the government. Kibaki's administration has been plagued by corruption, despite its pledge when it swept to power in 2003 to do away with the endemic graft associated with the previous administration.

However, observers say the resignations, intended to show Kibaki's commitment to the fight against corruption in Kenya, have come too late. "If this had happened in 2004 when the Anglo-Leasing scam was first exposed, or in November 2005 when the president reconstituted cabinet, the sense of optimism and confidence that the government is genuine about fighting graft would have prevailed," said Maina Kiai, chairman of the government's National Commission on Human Rights.

Poverty rampant

Accusations of corruption and excessive spending have led donors to question Kibaki's commitment to alleviating massive poverty in Kenya, where an estimated 50 percent of the population live below the poverty line. In 2005, the United States government withheld US $2.5 million in aid to the country's anti-corruption campaign until it "could gain a clear picture of the government's true intentions."

The World Bank recently stopped payment of almost $266.5 million - earmarked for education, the fight against HIV/AIDS and banking reforms - to Kenya over concerns about "transparency in use of funds". The ongoing scandals come at a time when the government and its partners are struggling to feed some 3.5 million Kenyans facing severe food shortages due to a prolonged drought.

Kenya human rights commission recently reported that over a two-year period, the government had spent over $12 million on luxury vehicles for cabinet ministers and other senior government officials. The report noted that the money spent on cars between January 2003 and September 2004, would have been enough to provide antiretroviral therapy (ARV) to 147,000 people living with HIV/AIDS for one year.

"The tens of billions of shillings stolen from this country would make a dramatic difference to the humanitarian situation facing Kenya today," Kiai said.