Not reading from the same script
It was another normal, lazy Sunday afternoon and I was casually channel surfing and thoroughly board when I passed by some breaking news that said that Sam Ongeri and William Ruto had been suspended for three months. This was due to the fact that the two had been implicated in the Free Primary Education and Maize scams respecively. My first thought was to cheer at the fact that finally the government were keeping to their word of being firm on corruption suspects and that maybe just maybe the investigations that were to be held in their absence would yield some fruit in the struggle against corruption. I was happiest that for once words were not just words.
A few hours later my elation and hope were dashed and I was brought firmly back to earth when president made the statement nullifying Mr Odingas suspension of the two ministers on the grounds 'that they are unconstitutional.'
This came hot on the heel of an announcement by the president on Saturday that eight public officials were to 'step aside' in relation to the two corruption scams. Many both in government praised Saturdays move as a step in the right direction but also called for more decisive action on corruption.
While making his announcement on Sunday the PM said that 'the decision taken will result in any gathering of evidence to determine if individuals need to be prosecuted in the two scandals'.
The coalition partners who have in recent weeks been in agreement about corruption and using a take no prisoners approach on the matter are no longer reading from the same script as the president insists that 'constitutionally the two ministers remain in office'. This is not the first time the two party leaders have disagreed and done is in full view of the press and the public.
The deadlock between the two is seemingly so bad that ODM has called on Kofi Annan for help to resolve the impasse.
Kibaki insists however that his refusal to suspend the two should not be seen as an endorsement of corruption. He also said that Kenya's fight against graft 'will be successfully fought when we do so in accordance with the constitution and the due process of law.' The country is in the process of reviewing a new constitution. The former UN secretary general has once again been called into the country over fear of a collapse in the coalition government and an imminent return to the Post Election violence that killed 1,300 people and displaced a thousand more.
Attribution: The Daily Nation, The Christian Science Monitor and Google.
A few hours later my elation and hope were dashed and I was brought firmly back to earth when president made the statement nullifying Mr Odingas suspension of the two ministers on the grounds 'that they are unconstitutional.'
This came hot on the heel of an announcement by the president on Saturday that eight public officials were to 'step aside' in relation to the two corruption scams. Many both in government praised Saturdays move as a step in the right direction but also called for more decisive action on corruption.
While making his announcement on Sunday the PM said that 'the decision taken will result in any gathering of evidence to determine if individuals need to be prosecuted in the two scandals'.
The coalition partners who have in recent weeks been in agreement about corruption and using a take no prisoners approach on the matter are no longer reading from the same script as the president insists that 'constitutionally the two ministers remain in office'. This is not the first time the two party leaders have disagreed and done is in full view of the press and the public.
The deadlock between the two is seemingly so bad that ODM has called on Kofi Annan for help to resolve the impasse.
Kibaki insists however that his refusal to suspend the two should not be seen as an endorsement of corruption. He also said that Kenya's fight against graft 'will be successfully fought when we do so in accordance with the constitution and the due process of law.' The country is in the process of reviewing a new constitution. The former UN secretary general has once again been called into the country over fear of a collapse in the coalition government and an imminent return to the Post Election violence that killed 1,300 people and displaced a thousand more.
Attribution: The Daily Nation, The Christian Science Monitor and Google.
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