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Kenya

Cabinet meets amid corruption purge

NAIROBI, Kenya, Oct 28 – President Mwai Kibaki was on Thursday morning chairing a Cabinet meeting at State House Nairobi following days of intense public pressure over corruption that have seen two of his Ministers vacate office.

The meeting comes barely a day after Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula stepped aside over allegations that the purchase and sale of Kenyan embassies abroad was riddled with corruption.

Foreign Affairs PS Thuita Mwangi also left office on Wednesday after his request was accepted by the president to allow investigations into the deals.

A week ago, the President suspended the Minister for Higher Education William Ruto who is to stand trial in a Sh96 million fraud case in January.

Mr Wetangula yielded to public pressure and stepped aside from office to pave way for investigations into the allegations.

Mr Ruto on the other hand appeared for the mention of his case earlier this week after which hearing was set for January next year.  The prosecution indicated it would call 24 witnesses to prove the case against him.

It is alleged that Mr Ruto fraudulently obtained the Sh96m from a former Kenya Pipeline Company manager in the pretext that he was in a position to sell land to Kenya Pipeline Company at Ngong Forest.

Earlier this year, the President suspended Assistant Minister Wilfred Machage from office after he was charged in court with incitement and hate speech.

On Wednesday, the President said the Government would come out strongly in tackling issues of corruption.

President Kibaki said as much as the Government invested a lot of funds into development projects it expected value for those funds thus misappropriation of public funds will not be tolerated.

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He said it was time public officials changed their attitudes and became satisfied with their rightful salaries and wages instead of misappropriating public funds.

While re-stating the government\’s commitment to accountability in the use and allocation of tax-payers funds, President Kibaki said that the Government will firmly and systematically deal with corruption.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga also supported the President\’s sentiments and noted that with prudent and disciplined utilisation of public resources, the country will be able to achieve all its development goals.

However there is still more demand from the public and the international community for the government to fight graft and sack all government officers involved in squandering public funds.

The Cabinet meeting comes as Nairobi City Mayor Geophrey Majiwa is under pressure to resign after being charged in the Sh283 million cemetery scandal.

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