East Africa: Ruto Sends Embattled EAC Boss to Russia As Envoy

9 March 2024
Nile Post (Kampala)
By Moses Namayo

Kenya's President Samuel Ruto has nominated the Secretary General of the East African Community, Peter Mathuki, as ambassador to Russia.

The nomination and appointment follows a heated debate by EALA assembly demanding for immediate resignation of Mathuki over alleged misappropriation and failure to account for close to $6 million (Shs23bn).

In a heated debate that sat yesterday in Nairobi, EALA members of parliament, the majority of them from Uganda and South Sudan, expressed their concerns over mismanagement of funds allocated to mitigate peace in the region dubbed as peace fund.

The legislators accused Mathuki of breaching the Financial Rules and Treaty Budget Act, which mandates appropriation of any monies to be approved by the assembly.

"Over $6 million that has been collected in as far as peace fund is concerned that money has been spent and has never gone through appropriation," Denis Namara, a Uganda representative, said.

"It's our sole responsibility as parliament of EALA to ensure that our resources are put to proper accountability. I want to urge President Ruto and his minister to liberate us from the secretary general you gave us and was wondering if it's the best export in terms of human resource you gave to the community."

Namara told EALA house that money was from different partner states to cater for peace fund but had been spent without going through appropriation.

"The Council of Ministers approved it without our consent. That's thuggery," he added.

Kennedy Aysason Mukulia, from South Sudan, railed about "corruption of the highest order".

The regional parliamentarians accused Mathuki of undermining the assembly and demanded for his resignation ahead of the next assembly which will sit in Kampala.

"I have evidence to produce before the Assembly of an amount of close to $31,000 paid to an individual illegally recruited when the position was filled by an substantive staff," Mukulia said.

"Very alarming situation when you employ your son to serve in this Community. The people abusing office should vacate with immediate effect."

Namara said Mathuki should resign before the Kampala sitting comes up.

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