Education ministry scandal: Ball in Kibaki’s court

The Education funds scandal refuses to go away, not just yet exposing the rot that threatens to derail UPE.

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By Standard Team

By asking President Kibaki to suspend Education minister Sam Ongeri and his Permanent Secretary Karega Mutahi over millions of shillings lost from the Free Primary Education Fund, Prime Minister Raila Odinga literally kicked the ball into the President’s court.

In the bold move, at a public function officiated by the President on war against graft and attended by the movers and shakers of Kenya’s public service, Raila appeared to direct attention to the fact he was not part of inaction against Prof Ongeri and Prof Karega Mutahi. That is why three days after Raila took the ball to the President’s court, despite his silence, the nation is left watching out for the President’s next move.

To let Ongeri, his close friend and ally and his appointee to the power-sharing negotiations during post-election violence remain in office, would make him look like his ‘protector’, as well as Mutahi’s.

To ask them to step aside pending investigation the way he had to, in his first term, release three of his closest buddies in the Cabinet — Prof George Saitoti, Mr David Mwiraria and Mr Kiraitu Murungi — would puncture the ego of his Party of National Unity. It could also trigger a series of events that could have serious political implications for himself.

That is probably why the President may have to choose silence, let the debate move on and nature to take its course, hopefully up to the level where he would, without appearing to nudge a friend, just ask them to read the mood of the public. That is what the President did to his campaign chief fundraiser in 2002, Dr Chris Murungaru. The President remained quiet as war cries over Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing twin scandals spread across the country, with calls on Murungaru, Saitoti, Mwiraria, Kiraitu and then vice-president Moody Awori to step aside.

That is what he also did when Trade minister Amos Kimunya’s political career was on tenterhooks because of the controversial sale of Grand Regency Hotel.

No word

Despite his closeness to the President and amid claims by Kimunya the sale was a Libyan-Kenyan government deal sanctioned by Kibaki, State House responded with total silence.

It was only after Kimunya was humiliated by Parliament’s passing of a censure Motion that he chose to step aside — a few days after he had said he would rather die than resign. The President predictably handed Kimunya a lifeline, albeit by moving him from the high-profile Finance ministry to Trade. The calls for Ongeri’s and Karega’s resignation are rising and it could be just a matter of time before a President perceived to prefer letting nature take its course, finally calls them up and says something akin to: "You have seen and heard yourselves, it is now beyond me".

Although PNU politicians have criticised the PM, saying some ministers from the ODM side are not clean either, Raila yesterday insisted Ongeri and Mutahi must step aside to allow for investigation.

Addressing mourners in Funyula during the burial of Nivah Oduori, a United Nations volunteer who died in the Haiti earthquake, Raila said his recommendation for the two was not for sacking, but to step aside for KACC to carry out investigation, noting that the same cannot be done when they are in office.

However, Ongeri yesterday stood his ground vowing never to give in to pressure. The minister dismissed the PM’s demands on President Kibaki to sack him, saying he was innocent.

"The PM should stop playing politics with serious issues. He should have waited for the KACC findings before demanding anybody’s sacking," said Ongeri.

He said the PM has a political vendetta against some leaders, mainly those from the PNU side of the coalition.

Owe Kenyans

Cabinet ministers Noah Wekesa, Esther Murugi, Hellen Sambili, Fred Gumo, Paul Otuoma, James Orengo and Assistant minister Bifwoli Wakoli supported Raila and called for sacking of the two.

But Cabinet Ministers Mutula Kilonzo and Kiraitu and Assistant ministers Linah Kilimo, Kareke Mbiuki and Kabando wa Kabando and MPs Joshua Kuttuny and Jamleck Kamau criticised the PM.

Gichugu MP Martha Karua said both the President and Prime Minister owe Kenyans an explanation on what became of the multi-billion shilling maize and Triton oil scandals.

"While I commend the Government for the new found zeal in fighting corruption because when I left the Cabinet that war had been abandoned, the two are yet to tell the public what became of the maize and oil scandals," she added.

Ms Karua said the Government must show consistency in the graft war and must act on the two scandals even as they struggle to deal with new ones that seem to be emerging.

She said if there was real commitment in fighting corruption then several ministers and PSs would by now have been sacked for being involved in graft.

Mr Gumo said he would personally approach Ongeri and urge him to step aside.

"Ongeri is my friend, but I will have to tell him the truth. If your ministry has a problem, just step aside and allow investigation to be conducted," added Gumo.

Commit suicide

"In Japan and South Korea, when you are mentioned in corruption, you don’t wait for the police to come to arrest you, you commit suicide," said Orengo.

He said it was regrettable that Kenyan leaders will stick to their various positions even when things go wrong. He said Ongeri and Karega should step aside since they were the officers in charge of the ministry.

But Prof Philip Nying’iro, the Head of Political Science Department at the University of Nairobi, has cautioned Kibaki may not act over reshuffle calls, especially if he feels his position as Head of State is not threatened.