Kenya

This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Kenya Image File history File links Kenya_coa. ... The unicameral National Assembly consists of 210 members elected to a term of up to five years from single-member constituencies, plus 12 members nominated by political parties on a proportional representation basis. ...

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Political corruption in the post-colonial government of Kenya has had a history which spans the era of the Jomo Kenyatta and Daniel arap Moi's KANU governments to the Mwai Kibaki's NARC government. In the Corruption Perceptions Index 2005 Kenya is ranked 144th out of 159 countries for corruption (least corrupt countries are at the top of the list). It is estimated the average urban Kenyan pays 16 bribes per month. Most of these bribes are fairly small but large ones are also taken — bribes worth over 50,000 Kenyan shillings (€600, USD$700) account for 41% of the total value. There is also corruption on a larger scale with each of the last two regimes being criticised for their involvement.^[1] List of the Heads of State of Kenya See also Kenya Heads of Government of Kenya Colonial Heads of Kenya lists of incumbents Categories: Kenya | Lists of office-holders ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is Kenyas third president, an economist, and a political leader. ... The Vice-President of Kenya is the second-highest executive official in the Kenyan government]]. List of Vice-Presidents of Kenya Jaramogi Oginga Odinga (1963-May 1966) Joseph Zuzarte Murumbi (May 1966-1967) Daniel arap Moi (1967-22 August 1978) Mwai Kibaki (14 October 1978-1988) Josephat Njuguna Karanja (1988... Arthur Moody Awori, known as Uncle Moody, born 5 December 1927 in Butere, has been the Vice President of Kenya since 25 September 2003. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The unicameral National Assembly of Kenya is the countrys legislative body. ... Political parties in Kenya lists political parties in Kenya. ... Elections in Kenya gives information on election and election results in Kenya. ... The 2005 Kenyan constitutional referendum occured on 21 November 2005. ... Categories: Africa geography stubs | Lists of subnational entities | Kenya ... The situation of human rights in Kenya has evolved over the last four decades since independence. ... Despite internal tensions in Sudan and Ethiopia, Kenya has maintained good relations with its northern neighbors. ... Information on politics by country is available for every country, including both de jure and de facto independent states, inhabited dependent territories, as well as areas of special sovereignty. ... World map of the Corruption Perceptions Index, which measures the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians In broad terms, political corruption is the misuse by government officials of their governmental powers for illegitimate, usually secret, private gain. ... See colony and colonisation for examples of colonialism which do not refer to Western colonialism. ... The unicameral National Assembly consists of 210 members elected to a term of up to five years from single-member constituencies, plus 12 members nominated by political parties on a proportional representation basis. ... Jomo Kenyatta Jomo Kenyatta (October 20, 1893 ?– August 22, 1978) was an African politician, the first Prime Minister (1963–1964) and President (1964–1978) of an independent Kenya. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Kenya African National Union, better known as KANU, ruled Kenya for nearly 40 years after its independence from British colonial rule in 1963, until its electoral loss at the end of 2002. ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is Kenyas third president, an economist, and a political leader. ... Politics of Kenya Categories: Politics stubs | Kenyan political parties ... Overview of the index of perception of corruption , 2005 Since 1995, Transparency International has published an annual Index of perception of corruption ordering the countries of the world according to the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist among public officials and politicians. The organization defines corruption as the... Bribery is a crime implying a sum or gift given alters the behaviour of the person in ways not consistent with the duties of that person. ... The Kenyan shilling is the currency used in Kenya. ... ISO 4217 Code EUR User(s) European Union; eurozone: Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Republic of Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain; outside eurozone: Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, Vatican City, Montenegro, Kosovo, French Guiana, Réunion, Saint-Pierre et Miquelon, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Mayotte. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

Corruption

• The longest-running is the Goldenberg scandal ^[2], where the Kenyan government subsidised exports of gold, paying exporters in Kenyan Shillings (Sh) 35% over their foreign currency earnings. In this case, the gold was smuggled from Congo. The Goldenberg scandal cost Kenya the equivalent of more than 10% of the country's annual GDP.

• In 1998, political scientist Mutahi Ngunyi's NGO - Series for Alternative Research in East Africa (SAREAT) engaged John Githongo to edit a regional political economy magazine, East African Alternatives^[3]. The magazine folded after an audit instigated by the lead donor Ford Foundation found suspected misappropriation and collusion on the part of Ngunyi, who was executive director of SAREAT and Dr Jonathan Moyo, who was the programme officer at the Ford Foundation in charge of disbursing the resources to the NGO. They have both been sued and the matter is still in court. It is known that the Ford Foundation has accepted Githongo's offer to be a prosecution witness in the case.

• A Sh360 million helicopter servicing contract in South Africa^[4]. Military officers had argued that the contract was too extravagant and servicing the helicopters could be done locally. Kenya Air Force (KAF) went ahead to spend Sh108 million as a down payment for servicing the Puma helicopters, whose tail number is logged as 418 at Denel Aviation, a South African firm.

• In 2003, the military was split over plans to buy new Czech fighter jets^[4]. The plan to buy the jet fighters would have cost taxpayers Sh12.3 billion.

• A Sh4.1 billion Navy ship deal ^[4]. A Navy project was given to Euromarine, a company associated with Anura Pereira, the tender awarded in a process that has been criticised as irregular. The tender was worth Sh4.1 billion. Military analysts say a similar vessel could have been built for Sh1.8 billion.

• Chamanlal Kamani had been involved in a supply contract, as Kamsons Motors. ^[5] Kampsons tendered for the supply of Mahindra Jeeps to the Police Department in the mid 1990s for close to Sh1 million (US$13,000) each, at a time when showrooms would have charged customers a sixth of the price. Moreover, the vehicles were being bought for a government department and were therefore imported duty free. Few of the more than 1,000 units that were imported over several years are in service today.

• The Kamanis were also involved in a deal to build a CID forensic laboratory. On June 7, 2004 an amount of $4.7 million was wired back. The payment was a refund against the money paid for the Criminal Investigations Department forensic laboratory. ^[6]. Another Euro 5.2 million was paid back in respect of the E-cop project, which involved computerisation of the police force and the installation of spy cameras in Nairobi by Infotalent Systems Private Limited. ^[6]

• The Prisons department lost $3 million after contracting Hallmark International, a company associated with Mr Deepak Kamani of Kamsons Motors, for the supply of 30 boilers. ^[5] Only half of the boilers were delivered – from India and not the United States as had been agreed.

• The construction of Nexus, a secret military communication centre in Karen, Nairobi ^[4]. The Government spent Sh2.6 billion (US$36.9 million) to construct the complex. Three years later, military personnel have not moved into the centre. A phantom company, Nedermar BV Technologies, which is said to have its headquarters in Holland, implemented the secret project situated along Karen South Road. Nedermar is linked to businessman Anura Pereira. However, Pereira has denied this. The tendering process for the Nexus project was circumvented as DoD's Departmental Tender Committee. Funding for the project was made through the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The complex is currently headed by Colonel Philip Kameru. Nexus was first meant to be an ammunition dumpsite before it was turned into a military communication and operations centre. Construction continued without any site visits by either the DoD staff or Ministry of Public Works officials. The Nexus project was implemented during the tenure of General Joseph Kibwana.

• In 2005 plans to buy a sophisticated £20 million passport equipment system from France ^{[7] [8]}. Here government wanted to replace its passport printing system. The transaction was originally quoted at 6 million Euros from François Charles Oberthur of Paris - the world's leading supplier of Visa and MasterCards, but was awarded to a British firm, the Anglo-Leasing and Finance Company Limited, at 30 million Euros, who would have sub-contracted the same French firm to do the work. Despite the lack of competitive tendering Anglo Leasing was paid a "commitment fee" of more than £600,000. Anglo Leasing's agent is a Liverpool-based firm, Saagar Associates, owned by a woman whose family has enjoyed close links with senior officials in the Moi regime. Company records show Saagar Associates is owned by Mrs Sudha Ruparell, a 47-year-old Kenyan woman. Mrs Ruparell is the daughter of Chamanlal Kamani, the 72-year-old multimillionaire patriarch of a business family which enjoyed close links with senior officials in the Moi regime. Anglo Leasing made a repayment of Euro 956,700 through a telegraphic transfer from Schroeder & Co Bank AG, Switzerland on May 17, 2004. ^[6]

• The local chapter of Transparency International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), a government body released a report in February, 2006, stating that between January 2003 and September 2004, the National Rainbow Coalition government spent about $12-million on cars that were mostly for the personal use of senior government officials^[9]. The vehicles included 57 Mercedes Benzes, as well as Land Cruisers, Mitsubishi Pajeros, Range Rovers, Nissan Terranos and Nissan Patrols. The $12-million substantially exceeded what the government spent over the 2003/04 financial year on controlling malaria -- "the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in Kenya", says the report.

• In late February 2006, the leading newspaper The Standard ran a story claiming that president Mwai Kibaki and senior opposition figure Kalonzo Musyoka had been holding secret meetings. On March 2 at 1:00am local time (2200 UTC on the 1st), masked gunmen carrying AK-47s raided multiple editorial offices of The Standard, and of its television station KTN. They kicked and beat staff members, forcibly took computers and transmission equipment, burned all the copies of the March 2nd edition of the newspaper, and damaged the presses. At KTN, they shut down the power, putting the station off the air. Initially, the Kenyan information minister claimed no knowledge of the raid, but it has since revealed that Kenyan police were responsible. The Ministery of the Interior later stated that the incident was to safeguard state security. "If you rattle a snake you must be prepared to be bitten by it," John Michuki said. Three journalists at The Standard, arrested after the critical story was printed, are still being held without charge. ^{[10] [11]} The story now also features the bizarre case of two Armenian businessmen, mocked in the press for their taste for heavy gold chains, watches and rings, referred to as Mercenaries, who the opposition says led the raid and had shady dealings with Kibaki's government.^[12]

The Goldenberg scandal was a scam where the Kenyan government subsidised exports of gold, paying exporters in Kenyan Shillings 35% over their foreign currency earnings. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a non-profit group or association that acts outside of institutionalized political structures and pursues matters of interest to its members by lobbying, persuasion, or direct action. ... John Githongo is a former Kenyan journalist who investigated bribery and fraud in his home country and later, under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, took on an official governmental position to fight corruption. ... The Ford Foundation is a charitable foundation based in New York City created to fund programs that promote democracy, reduce poverty and promote international understanding (see mission statement). ... Jonathan Nathaniel Moyo (born 12 January 1957) is a political figure in Zimbabwe. ... Anura Pereira is a Sri Lankan with Cypriot origins, frequently mentioned in association with Corruption in Kenya. ... Chamanlal Kamani is a business magnate and the patriarch head of the Kamani family of Kenya, with interests in hotels, flower farms, infrastructure, telecommunications, project financing, real estate, cotton, as well as Diani Reef Beach Resort in Mombasa and Radisson Whitesands Resort in Goa, India. ... The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is the branch of all British Police forces to which plain clothes detectives belong. ... June 7 is the 158th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (159th in leap years), with 207 days remaining. ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Anura Pereira is a Sri Lankan with Cypriot origins, frequently mentioned in association with Corruption in Kenya. ... The Anglo Leasing Scandal, also known as Anglo-fleecing, is the popular name for a corruption scandal in Kenya. ... Sudha Ruparell is a controversial Kenyan lady currently living in Bangalore, India. ... Chamanlal Kamani is a business magnate and the patriarch head of the Kamani family of Kenya, with interests in hotels, flower farms, infrastructure, telecommunications, project financing, real estate, cotton, as well as Diani Reef Beach Resort in Mombasa and Radisson Whitesands Resort in Goa, India. ... May 17 is the 137th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (138th in leap years). ... 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Transparency International (TI) is an international organisation addressing corruption, including, but not limited to, political corruption. ... Politics of Kenya Categories: Politics stubs | Kenyan political parties ... Mercedes-Benz (sometimes shortened to just Mercedes or Benz) is a German brand name of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks created for Daimler-Benz AG and now owned by DaimlerChrysler AG. The Daimler-Benz company originated on June 28, 1926 when two companies, Benz & Cie. ... This article needs cleanup. ... The Mitsubishi Pajero, known as the Mitsubishi Montero in North America and Spanish-speaking countries, and as Mitsubishi Shogun in the United Kingdom, is an SUV built by Mitsubishi Motors. ... First-generation Range Rover The Range Rover is the top luxury SUV model of Land Rover. ... The Nissan Pathfinder and Terrano are midsize SUVs designed for the North American market. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The Standard is a leading newspaper in Kenya, and Kenyas oldest newspaper. ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is Kenyas third president, an economist, and a political leader. ... Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka (born November 1953) in a remote part of Mwingi District in Kenyas Eastern Province and is a Kenyan politician and was the foreign minister of Kenya from 1993 until 1998 and from 2003 until June 30, 2004, when he was replaced in a cabinet reshuffle. ... March 2 is the 61st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (62nd in leap years). ... It has been suggested that leap second be merged into this article or section. ... Avtomat Kalashnikova model 1947 g. ... Kenya Television Network is a leading TV station in Kenya with its headquartes in I & M Towers in downtown Nairobi (Capital City of Kenya). ... The printing press is a mechanical device for printing many copies of a text on rectangular sheets of paper. ... John Njoroge Michuki (1932 - ) is the Kenyan internal security minister. ... Mercenary (disambiguation). ...

Security contracts

Listed in Githongo's dossier^[13] are a number of companies that won security-related contracts :-

ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

See also

• Goldenberg scandal
• Anglo Leasing scandal
• Mwai Kibaki
• John Githongo
• Larry Timmons
• Deepak Kamani
• Kenya Police
• AIDS

The Goldenberg scandal was a scam where the Kenyan government subsidised exports of gold, paying exporters in Kenyan Shillings 35% over their foreign currency earnings. ... The Anglo Leasing Scandal, also known as Anglo-fleecing, is the popular name for a corruption scandal in Kenya. ... Mwai Kibaki (born November 15, 1931) is Kenyas third president, an economist, and a political leader. ... John Githongo is a former Kenyan journalist who investigated bribery and fraud in his home country and later, under the presidency of Mwai Kibaki, took on an official governmental position to fight corruption. ... Brother Larry Lal Timmons O.F.M. (April 17, 1948 - January 22, 1997) was an Irish Catholic missionary who was killed in the Diocese of Nakuru, Rift Valley Province, Kenya, in January 1997. ... This page meets Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... The Kenya Police, which report to the Commissioner of Police in the Office of the President, fields about 18,000 officers. ... Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS or Aids) is a collection of symptoms and infections in humans resulting from the specific damage to the immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). ...

External links

• Kenya's Kibaki pledges action over graft "in days" - Reuters South Africa
• AfricaFiles News summaries from Kenya
• John Githongo report BBC: Full report on Kenya corruption, from the Ethics secretary (3.3Meg PDF, 22 pages)
• wikinews:Kenyan TV and newspaper raided by masked police - Wikinews
• CCTV still images from raid
• Journalists from 'The Standard' charged - IFEX

The British Broadcasting Corporation, invariably known as the BBC (and also informally known as the Beeb or Auntie) is the largest broadcasting corporation in the world. ... The International Freedom of Expression eXchange (IFEX), founded in 1992, is a global network of more than 60 Non-governmental organisation that promotes and defends the right to freedom of expression. ...

References

1. ^ Transparency International Kenya, Frequently Asked Questions. Accessed March 1, 2006.
2. ^ Forensic accountants trace Goldenburg transaction (Corpwatch)
3. ^ It’s high treason for Githongo (East African Standard)
4. ^ ^a b c d New scandal hangs over Sh2.6b secret Army complex (East African Standard)
5. ^ ^a b Kenya Graft Watchdog Set to Charge More Suspects
6. ^ ^a b c When bogus firms wired back Sh1bn (Daily Nation)
7. ^ report on the Anglo Leasing scandal (Guardian)
8. ^ It's time to tell the Kenyan people the truth about the anglo-leasing corruption scandal (Transparency International)
9. ^ Vehicle Saga Shows Parliament Has Few Budgetary Teeth (Inter Press Service News Agency)
10. ^ BBC: Kenya admits armed raids on paper
11. ^ Reuters: Leading media house shut down by armed men
12. ^ IOL Kibaki in trouble as parliament re-opens
13. ^ Githongo's dossier