NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 21 – Devolution and Planning Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru’s late Saturday afternoon resignation may have come as shock to many, but for others it was long overdue.
Soon after she emotionally declared that due to health concerns she had decided to resign, social media buzzed with reactions from Kenyans some empathizing with her while others termed it timely.
For Capital FM’s Chairman Chris Kirubi, the resignation was long overdue, but nonetheless, he congratulated her for the bold move saying it was her only option since she had already lost public confidence.
“Once you lose public confidence as a public officer, the only thing you can do is step down…I am sure she can be busy doing her own businesses because Kenya has many opportunities,” he said.
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He at the same time congratulated President Uhuru Kenyatta for his spirited fight against corruption urging other stakeholders to join the fight to sanitise the country.
ODM party Chairman John Mbadi on his part said the decision was a little too late stating that if she had simply stepped aside earlier, investigations would have been done with and she could have been possibly been cleared if she was innocent.
“Let me not doubt whether she is unwell or not, if she is sick, let me say sorry because she is a Kenyan. But I think she should have resigned earlier and not on health grounds; as a public officer she should have headed to the call of the people,” he said.
He added that the concerns of many Kenyans were that monies had been looted and all they wanted was for the culprits to be nabbed and punished.
Waiguru resigned stating that the accusations leveled against her had negatively impacted on her health and that her doctor had advised her to ‘take some time off’ and rest and only engage in ‘light duties’ which she asked President Uhuru Kenyatta to consider.
A report by the Criminal Investigation Department which was made public by the CS had showed that there were fraudulent payments worth Sh791,385, 000 made to four suppliers for building materials used by the National Youth Service and that there was a conspiracy to defraud the institution of a further Sh695,400,000.
Just recently the Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko recommended charges against Planning Principal Secretary Peter Mangiti and NYS Director General Nelson Githinji for attempting to block a probe into the attempted theft of Sh695 million.
In the statement, Tobiko stated that, “the trio (together with businessman Ben Muchemi) attempted to dissuade Harakhe Wako from reporting and following up with the CID the matter relating with the conspiracy to steal Sh695 million,” and that they threatened Harakhe, “with consequences, If he proceeded to decommit from the IFMIS system the said sum of Sh695 million.”
In her emotional address, Waiguru acknowledged the culpability of officers in her ministry stating that she regretted their actions further calling on the investigating bodies to move with speed and conclude investigations.
“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.
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