Peter Makori, Kenya Times Online
September 5, 2006

Former Kenyan Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics, John Githongo, has renewed his anti-corruption crusade from abroad accusing the Kenyan government of failing to recover a whopping Sh 74 billion he says he established was stashed away in foreign banks by senior people in the present and former governments, Kenya Times
Online reports.

Githongo told a meeting of Kenyan professionals in Washington, DC, that he had investigated and discovered a total of US$1 billion (Sh 74 billion) stashed in banks abroad and had pushed for its recovery but the government had ignored the recommendation.

In order to stamp out corruption, the former permanent secretary under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, called for the immediate enactment of a law that would strip the presidency of unnecessary executive powers which, he said, was the source of corruption in Kenya.

“There is need to effect particular changes in the constitution of Kenya to ensure accountability on the part of the president and define his powers according to the law. You cannot win the war against corruption when somebody riding high on executive authority goes round the country dishing out national resources without accountability,”
said Mr. Githongo, who resigned his position with the Kenyan government in 2005 and later accused top ministers of large-scale fraud.

Mr. Githongo said he had faced hurdles as he fought through a thick wall of corrupt mafiosa in government and wondered whether he was appointed for public relations purposes. He said many people in government, including politicians, complained to him that a section of individuals were involved in massive graft and that they were eating
alone.

“They told me in sincere terms that even [former president Daniel Arap] Moi was better because whatever was stolen, it trickled down to everybody. These people are so gluttonous,” said Githongo, quoting a Member of Parliament who had confided in him in his former office as permanent secretary.

Mr. Githongo said that after mounting pressure on those who had stolen hundreds of millions from the government, missing money began to return. “What looked funny to me was every time stolen money was returned, nobody in government celebrated. Maybe because of naivety on my part, I never read the signs of the time in good time,” he said, referring to threats to his position.

Dr. Alfred Mutua, a spokesman for the Kenyan government, and Nicholas Simani, principal public relations officer for the KACC (the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission) have denied Mr. Githongo’s allegations.

Dr. Mutua claimed Dr. Githongo was playing cheap politics and challenged him to return to the country to table the evidence. Mr. Githongo countered that he would “move to Nairobi or anywhere in Kenya” to face the former and sitting cabinet ministers “that I had mentioned in my report on corruption.”