At least three Cabinet secretaries are under investigation for receiving kickbacks from contractors engaged in State projects. Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i chaired the meeting that brought together his colleagues James Macharia (Roads), Simon Chelugui (Water), Raychelle Omamo (Defence), 19 principal secretaries, Attorney General Paul Kariuki, Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji, Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) CEO Twalib Mbarak and chief executives of State agencies under the infrastructural ministries.
There were stunning revelations made during the meeting. Powerful individuals, including members of the Cabinet, principal secretaries and parastatal chiefs mainly handling key infrastructural projects, are in a spot.
Over 500 contractors attended the meeting in which the Government warned foreign contractors that they would be jailed or deported for bribing public officers.Mr Haji told the forum that he would nail those implicated in corrupt deals. It was dentified that the directors of an Italian firm have recorded a statement with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with some key allegations. There is usually money involved which is from projects funded by international donors and financiers, where crooked public officers facilitate advance payments (mobilisation fee) that are then wired back home.
The disclosure lifted the lid on the extent of the unofficial 10 per cent kickback payments blamed for stalling mega Government projects. “Some of you contractors pay tickets for Government officers to travel to European capitals to receive the kickbacks and we know,” said one of the top officials, according to a person present at the meeting.
I hosted Cabinet colleagues for an intergovernmental committee meeting to review the Drought Status and Response Report compiled by the National Drought Management Authority (NDMA). pic.twitter.com/5FlgK0UhVI
— Dr. Fred Matiangi (@FredMatiangi) February 13, 2019
A source explained that the official cited a case where a State agency paid a contractor Sh7 billion in advance, yet the process of acquiring the land for the project had not been concluded. Contractors and senior State officials have come under investigation over a growing trend where hefty bribes are paid out, mostly in foreign capitals, to influence peddlers.