Dave Opiyo
14 August 2008
Nairobi — Former permanent secretary John Githongo will be returning to Kenya on Tuesday, more than three years since he fled into self-exile after exposing grand corruption in the Narc Government.
A statement issued from London yesterday indicated that the former PS for Ethics and Governance had agreed to return following invitations by Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.
The statement from Portland International Affairs, a public relations firm, said Mr Githongo is scheduled to address a meeting of the Kenya Human Rights Commission in Nairobi on August 20.
Remain in Kenya
In a telephone interview with the Nation, Mr Githongo confirmed that he would be travelling home for the first time since he fled the country, claiming his life was in danger. He would not say whether he would remain in Kenya permanently but indicated that he would be "around for quite a while".
Mr Githongo is a senior associate member of St Antony's College, Oxford, and vice-president for Policy and Advocacy at World Vision, a relief, development and advocacy agency.
"I have been greatly encouraged by both the Prime Minister and the Vice-President and now believe that it is time to return home and make any contribution I can to the future of my country," Mr Githongo said in the statement.
"I intend to speak my mind on what I feel needs to be done. I have no political affiliations. My obligations are solely to the people of Kenya - particularly the poor, the dispossessed and those in need."
However, Mr Githongo declined to comment when asked if he had been offered a job by the Government.
Asked if enough had been done to promote reconciliation after the post-election violence, the most traumatic period of Kenya's post-independence history, he said: "I want to see that. I am praying that has happened.
"What has happened with Kenya has been really unfortunate and, like all Kenyans, I'm very, very relieved that the violence we saw came to an end."
Mr Githongo was appointed the PS for Governance and Ethics in January 2003 by President Kibaki, after Narc swept to power in the December 2002 elections. He however resigned two years later while on a trip to London. At the time, he said the Government lacked the commitment to end corruption and claimed that he had received death threats for his role in exposing grand corruption.
In a document leaked in 2006, Mr Githongo accused top government officials in the Narc administration of frustrating his attempts to investigate the Anglo Leasing scandal in which the Government had paid billions of shillings for the supply of a naval ship and other security equipment, including the building of a forensic laboratory for the CID. The money for the projects was paid to a company whose directors could not be traced.
Among those adversely mentioned during the investigations were the then Vice-President Moody Awori and Cabinet minister Chris Murungaru, David Mwiraria and Kiraitu Murungi. The three ministers resigned in the wake of the scandal but Mr Mwiraria and Mr Murungi were later re-appointed to the Cabinet.
Mr Awori refused to resign, saying he had done nothing wrong.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation on February 8, 2006, Mr Githongo released taped evidence which implied that Mr Murungi had attempted to impede investigations into the Anglo Leasing scandal.
In the tape, Mr Murungi was quoted as urging Mr Githongo "to go slow" on the investigations.
Mr Githongo later said that a Sh30 million loan given to his father by lawyer A.H. Malik, had been bought by Mr Anura Pereira, and the debt would have been forgiven in exchange for "going slow" on the investigations.
Mr Murungi, who later described Anglo Leasing as the "scandal that never was" denied involvement in it.
He said: "I have listened to the alleged tape recorded evidence. It is truncated, inaudible, insufficient and inadmissible to form any credible proof of the allegations being orchestrated by Mr Githongo."
Allow investigations
However, on February 13, 2006, President Kibaki announced that Mr Murungi had resigned to allow investigations into the allegations.
Later in the year, he was appointed Energy minister while Ms Martha Karua succeeded him as Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister.
Mr Mwiraria, who also resigned as Finance minister was later on reappointed to the Cabinet as Environment minister. He was replaced by Mr Amos Kimunya, who also stepped aside last month over the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.
Last month, while addressing a workshop on corruption, Mr Odinga urged Mr Githongo to return home.
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