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Sunday, October 19, 2003 

MPs: indict 'corrupt ministers' 

By WALKER MWANDOTTO 
and KNA 

The Narc Cabinet is riddled with corruption and President Mwai Kibaki should sack the ministers involved to demonstrate the Government’s seriousness in fighting the vice, four MPs said yesterday.

Messrs Joe Khamisi (Bahari), Oburu Odinga (Bondo), Wycliffe Osundwa (Mumias) and Gor Sunguh (Kisumu East) said the corrupt ministers should be sacked immediately. The MPs were speaking in Kilifi town.

Dr Oburu said the war against corruption should start at the Cabinet level before being extended to other sectors like the Judiciary.

"Kenyans want the Narc Government to be cleaned up and this cannot happen if we continue having corrupt ministers," he said.

Dr Oburu said it was wrong for the Government to single out judges and magistrates in the war against corruption, corrupt Cabinet ministers. 

Mr Osundwa criticised MPs s calling for President Kibaki to sack the minister for Roads, Housing and Public Works, Mr Raila Odinga. 

"Mr Odinga is leading the war against corruption in the Narc government and he has tamed 'cowboy' contractors who had swindled the government out of billions of shillings," he said.

Mr Osundwa praised the President for waging war against graft but warned that some of the politicians surrounding him were corrupt.

Mr Khamisi cautioned civil servants against corrupt practices, saying the vice had ruined the country. 

Mr Sunguh asked the government to investigate allegations of corruption among some Cabinet members and action be taken against those implicated.

Nine MPs said recently that Parliament should be involved in vetting new appointees to the judiciary if the exercise was expected to be transparent and fair to all regions.

The MPs said Parliament will be the only organ that will ensure that no regions or particular tribes were discriminated against in the recruitment following the suspension of several judges accused of involvement in corruption.

The MPs, who included Mr Gideon Moi (Baringo Central), Mr Charles Keter (Belgut), Mr Sammy Koech (Konoin), Dr Guraj Galgalo (Moyale), Mr John Sambu (Mosop), Mr Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem), Dr Esther Keino (Kanu, nominated), Mr Joseph Lagat (Eldoret East) and Mr David Koros (Eldoret South), were speaking at Kiptere secondary school in Belgut constituency, Kericho, during the school's parents' day.

They warned against selective treatment of corruption cases, saying fairness and transparency should be the guiding principle in the judiciary purge.

The MPs appealed to the President to heed their call to have all the judges and magistrates resign and re-apply for reconsideration, saying most of those implicated in corruption had been condemned without being heard.

Mr Moi said it would have been better to have all the judges resign.

The MPs defended Mr Justice Samuel Bosire against accusations that he was not flexible in the way he was handling the Goldenberg inquiry.

They said Mr Justice Bosire was doing his work diligently and accused assisting counsel, Dr John Khaminwa and Dr Gibson Kamau Kuria, of having sinister motives for calling for his replacement.

They said Mr Justice Bosire was appointed by the President and dismissed claims that the judge was protecting former President Moi and his associates. 

Dr Galgalo said Kanu MPs would team up with other members to reject the anti-terrorism Bill once it was introduced in Parliament. He said the Bill was being pushed by the US government to oppress Kenyans.

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