CORRUPTION IN KENYA: TWO MORE MINISTERS RESIGN

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 NAIROBI 000661 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E, AF/EPS, EB/IFD/OMA USAID FOR AFR/DP WADE WARREN, AFR/EA JEFF BORNS AND JULIA ESCALONA MCC FOR KEVIN SABA AND MALIK CHAKA TREASURY FOR LUKAS KOHLER LONDON AND PARIS FOR AFRICA WATCHERS E.O. 12958: DECL: 2/14/2031 TAGS: ECON PGOV EAID EFIN KCOR PREL PINR KE SUBJECT: CORRUPTION IN KENYA: TWO MORE MINISTERS RESIGN Ref: A. Nairobi 607, B. Nairobi 527, C. Nairobi 494, D. Nairobi 395 Classified by Econ Counselor John Hoover for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). ¶1. (C) Summary: Under intense pressure generated by the Anglo-Leasing and Goldenberg scandals, Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki accepted (or, more accurately, demanded) the resignation of two more ministers on February 13. These and related developments perhaps mark the beginning of a change in Kenya's political culture if the anti-graft momentum is maintained. Optimism must be tempered by the fact that Kibaki took these actions only in response to intense public pressure, and not because of any newfound commitment to aggressively fighting corruption. End summary. -------------- Two More Ministers Step Down -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Major tremors from the earthquake caused by revelations of grand scale corruption both past and present continue to shake Kenya's political landscape. On the evening of February 13, President Mwai Kibaki announced in a terse statement on national television that he had accepted the resignations of two sitting ministers, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi and Education Minister George Saitoti. In both cases, said Kibaki, he was accepting the resignations to "pave the way for investigations" into Saitoti's role in the 16-year old Goldenberg affair and into Murungi's role in the more recent Anglo-Leasing and related scandals (reftels for background). Saitoti and Murungi now join David Mwiraria, who resigned February 1 as Finance Minister in response to the allegations of cover-up against him in the Anglo-Leasing scandals (ref C). ¶3. (C) Press reporting, supported by Murungi's earlier strong public refusal to step down, indicates the two resignations were not voluntary, but were demanded by Kibaki in response to mounting media and public pressure for action in response to the twin scandals of Anglo- Leasing and Goldenberg. -------------- --- Tainted Presidential Advisor Getonga Also Let Go -------------- --- ¶4. (C) In a statement released by the Presidential Press Service only a few hours before Kibaki's announcement, the Government said that Presidential Personal Assistant Alfred Getonga was no longer employed in the Office of the President. The Githongo dossier, with ample corroboration from sensitive reporting, places Getonga at the center of the Anglo-Leasing scams, playing the role of active intermediary between the key government players and the businessmen pushing the deals. While the statement fell short of naming Getonga as such, in saying that Getonga's contract had expired and will not be renewed, it is the most definitive statement yet that he no longer has status in the Office of the President. ¶5. (SBU) The press also reported February 14 that Attorney General Amos Wako has written to the source of the Anglo- Leasing allegations, former anti-corruption czar John Githongo, to officially invite him back from the UK to Kenya in order provide evidence and testimony to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC). The letter reportedly gives assurances that the Government will provide adequate "security arrangements" for Githongo upon his return. -------------- More Heads to Roll? -------------- ¶6. (C) With pressure from the media, the public, and civil society still intense, the next question in many minds is who will be next to resign -- or forced to resign. Considerable focus is directed at Vice President Moody Awori. World Bank Country Director Colin Bruce, who claimed he was with Kibaki on February 13 when the latter was preparing his announcement, told the Donor Coordination Group February 14 to "stay tuned for at least one NAIROBI 00000661 002 OF 002 additional announcement." Bruce concluded the meeting's lengthy discussion of corruption by summarizing the consensus that had emerged among donors and diplomats around the table: on one the hand, the three recent resignations are historic steps, indicative of an impressive maturation of Kenya's democracy. On the other hand, the country's political leadership still has not done enough to satisfy the legitimate demands of not just donors, but of the Kenyan public itself, for greater accountability. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶7. (C) Indeed, the unprecedented events of the past two weeks, with three Cabinet ministers resigning or being forced to step aside, might represent the beginnings of a shift in the political culture in Kenya towards greater accountability. Less encouraging is the fact that Kibaki took this course of action only under intense pressure from the media, the public, civil society, and donors, all spurred by the sheer volume and credibility of the Githongo dossier. It is also no secret that those State House and political insiders who have been pushing for these resignations have viewed the Murungi/Murungaru clique as political and economic competitors and have used the Githongo report as ammunition to strike fatal blows. Thus, it appears that Kibaki sees the three resignations not as justified on their own merits, but rather concessions designed to buy off the public and donors. There is as yet no evidence of a clear executive commitment to maintaining the momentum on the war on graft. Whether in the long-run the Government obtains convictions or not, Kibaki should now swiftly seek more resignations, and then fast-track prosecution of the most egregious wrongdoers, including not least those who are (or were until recently) members of his own inner circle. Bellamy