PH
Nairobi – Former Devolution Cabinet Secretary, Anne Waiguru has come out to refute claims that President Kenyatta accorded her preferential treatment during her time in office.
Waiguru, who resigned in November following sustained pressure from opposition leaders said there was no concrete reason for her to leave office, blaming corruption cartels for pushing for her ouster.
Waiguru clarified that unlike her other colleagues who stepped aside after recommendations by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), no agency had raised an issue with her.
Before Waiguru bowed to pressure and called it quits, opposition Chief Raila Odinga and other leaders questioned why the government seemed to be protective of the then CS, even after it emerged that KES 791 million was lost through fraudulent deals at the NYS which fell under her docket.
“My relationship with President Kenyatta was just normal like that of any of the other Cabinet Secretaries,” she said during an interview on Citizen TV on Sunday.
Five of Waiguru’s former colleagues were suspended by President Kenyatta in March last year after they were named in a report issued by EACC over graft allegations.
Following the news of their suspensions, CS Charity Ngilu (Land), Felix Koskei (Agriculture), Davis Chirchir (Energy), Michael Kamau (Transport) and Kazungu Kambi (Labour) stepped aside to pave way for investigations, but were later replaced in a cabinet reshuffle in December.
“I was not accorded special treatment by anybody. My situation and theirs was very different; I was a whistle-blower and there was no investigation that directly implicated me in the scandal,” said Waiguru in her first interview after leaving office.
Principal Secretaries Nduva Muli (Transport), Mutea Iringo (Defence), Patrick Omuita (Mining) and James Teko (water) were also suspended to pave way for investigations after their names appeared in the EACC list.
“You cannot compare my case with the other five former colleagues because unlike mine, EACC made recommendations for action to be taken against them,” she explained.
During the interview, Waiguru emphasized that she was a whistle-blower of the scandal at NYS and revealed that she had been unfairly been victimized for diligently doing her job.
She pointed out that personal attacks directed at her and her children were part of the wider scheme by corruption cartels to tarnish her character and force her out of the powerful cabinet position she held.
“The war against corruption mutated to a war against Anne Waiguru after I raised the red flag on graft. Anyone who understands how corruption cartels work will understand that this was not the natural way you would expect a reaction to a whistle-blower who is willing to hold officers under them accountable,” she explained.
When she announced her resignation citing ill health, Waiguru pointed out that she was ready to take lighter duties on later date, if President Kenyatta deems it fit to give her another job. Asked whether she is ready for a lighter job, the former CS answered to the affirmative.
“I am committed to public service, but I am open to any light duties in government,” she revealed and added that currently she is resting and is considering continuing with her picking up her PhD studies which she had put on hold.
