Home EAST AFRICA KENYA: Finance minister apprehended for corruption.

KENYA: Finance minister apprehended for corruption.

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Henry Rotich - Photo credit Sen 360

Henry Rotich, the Kenyan Minister of Finance and 27 of his staff were arrested on Monday, July 22, 2019 for corruption and fraud involving a project to build two dams worth an estimated several hundred million.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta pledges to fight the high level of corruption in the country. Indeed, according to the Transparency International report released in 2017, Kenya ranks 143rd out of 180 in the corruption perception index. The arrest of Finance Minister Henry Rotich and some of his ministry officials is part of the President of the Republic’s drive to make the management of public funds ever more transparent.

Noordin Haji, the director of prosecutions, says they are being prosecuted for fraud, abuse of power, and other economic crimes. Indeed, the scandal in question concerns a project to build two dams in western Kenya to facilitate access to water in this area often hit by drought.

According to him, many irregularities were noted in the design of the project, from obtaining the market to the payment process.

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“The investigation showed that government officials have flouted all the rules of awarding contracts and abusing their power to ensure the success of their scheme,” said Noordin Haji.

In addition, the amount of the project was around $ 450 million but, to everyone’s surprise, the department added nearly $ 160 million to this planned amount without really providing any justification.

It should also be recalled that $ 6 million had been released to find housing for those affected by the project, but there is no evidence that land was actually purchased.

“The people we charge today were charged with protecting the public interest and knowingly broke that trust,” said the judge.

       

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