Nairobi — Ministers and trade officials from around the world assemble in Washington, DC, today for what is normally a routine series of annual joint meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

By the time the delegates are called to order, we hope that World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz will have stepped aside. Or been made to do so.

Since he took over the job in 2005, Mr Wolfowitz has made fighting corruption a priority. In February, he addressed Bank staff worldwide, and vowed to wage a relentless war against corruption in countries where the organisation operates. He cited Kenya as an example of a country which had been denied aid because of corrupt leadership.

He also promised to examine any irregularities within the bank itself. Now, Mr Wolfowitz has been caught in his own corruption scandal. He has admitted engineering an unusual series of promotions and pay raises for his lover, who is also a World Bank employee.

The Bank Executive Board has refuted his claims that it approved the promotions and pay raises. Mr Wolfowitz has no alternative but to resign. If he does not, then the Board must remove him, even if that means circumventing the fact the Bank chief is essentially an appointee of the US President.

Mr Wolfowitz has not only shamed himself, but also badly compromised the role of the Bank as a champion in the global fight against corruption. The Bank depends not just on financial muscle, but also on moral authority, which has been seriously undermined.

It is surprising that the board has taken so long to deliberate on the president's misconduct although the staff had raised the alarm in good time. In fact, the staff stated that the president's conduct had compromised the integrity and effectiveness of the Bank , and destroyed the trust in his leadership. It could not have been put better. Mr Wolfowitz must go.