By Andrew Irumba
Kenya: Police in Kenya on Monday 22 July arrested the Kenyan Finance Minister Henry Rotich over suspicion of corruption related to the construction of two dams. Despite Kenya’s notorious graft, it is unprecedented for a sitting minister to be arrested for corruption.
Charges against Rotich announced on Monday, stem from a police investigation into the misuse of funds in a dam project overseen by the Italian construction company CMC Di Ravenna.
Rotich denied any wrongdoing in a large newspaper advertisement in March. The company has also denied any wrongdoing.
“Rotich and his co-accused face eight charges, ranging from conspiring to defraud and financial misconduct,” Noordin Haji, the director of public prosecutions said. The minister and other officials will have to resign immediately, he said.
Nordin Haji the Director of public prosecutions said, the minister will be charged along with 27 other people, including Italian Paolo Porcelli the director of CMC di Ravenna, and Rotich’s principle secretary Kamau Thugge.
“They broke the law on public finance management under the guise of carrying out legitimate commercial transactions, colossal amounts were unjustifiably and illegally paid out through a well-choreographed scheme by government officers in collusion with private individuals and institutions,” Haji told the press.
It is alleged that the two dams were budgeted to cost 46 billion shillings ($446 million) however, the treasury borrowed far more.
“The national treasury negotiated a commercial facility increasing the amount to approximately 63 billion shillings – which is 17 billion more than necessary or required, payable on a timely basis without regard to a performance or works,” Haji added.
Kenyan prosecutors have requested help from British and Italian authoritiesand more charges could result.
