Waiguru flanked by Presidential Legal Advisor Abdikadir Mohammed (l) and her doctor (r).
NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru has bowed to public pressure and resigned from the Cabinet.
In an emotional speech to the media at her office on Saturday afternoon, Waiguru said she made the decision to quit due to health reasons following pressure over recent revelations of grand corruption in her docket.
“In view of the impact these events have had on my health, I have been advised by my doctor to take time off to recover and to undertake much lighter duties for some time,” an emotional Waiguru said.
“I have therefore, following my doctor’s advice, requested his Excellency the President to relieve me of the responsibilities of the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution and Planning and should he find it fit, to accord me such lighter duties as he shall deem appropriate,” Waiguru said.
The outgoing CS said she was however ready to undertake lighter responsibilities if asked to do so by the appointing authority.
Waiguru’s resignation comes amidst growing pressure over allegations of corruption leveled at her office following the loss of Sh791million in corrupt deals and the conspiracy to steal a further Sh695 million.
Waiguru who was on the verge of tears once again maintained innocence calling on the investigating agencies to move with speed to conclude their probe which would vindicate her.
She said in her political and professional career spanning over 10 years both in private and public sector, no one had questioned her professional or personal ethics, integrity or ability to deliver on her duties and that all this came about after she reported the attempted fraud at NYS.
“There has been a frenzied but organized attacks on my character, with sustained but unsupported allegations of corruption,” she said.
She added that, “A diabolical machinery has been applied incessantly by misinformed and mischievous parties to intimidate, harass and discredit both my professional and personal intergrity.”
Waiguru further admitted that officers under her ministry had taken advantage of their positions and engaged unscrupulous dealings saying she regretted that their actions had cost the country the losses as revealed in the report of the criminal investigations department and the auditor general.
“I will be the first to admit that mistakes were made, some officers in departments and agencies in the Ministry abused discretion granted to them and the trust placed on them to misuse and misappropriate public monies,” she said.
She further accused those ‘making the loudest noises’ on the corruption purge of covering up for those culpable stating that, “even where facts pointed to culpability by other parties and my absolute non-involvement, the attacks have continued,” this in reference to recent revelation of overpricing of goods purchased by the Ministry and which the PS Devolution Peter Mangiti and Director General NYS Nelson Githinji are facing charges over.
“The whole experience has caused a lot of pain to me personally and my family…” she said, holding back tears.
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