By MN Reporter
Government has revoked appointment of Jared Kwaga, a key suspect in the alleged looting of Sh2 billion from the Migori county after activists complained.
Kwaga is a close associate of Migori Governor Okoth Obado, with both and their families being investigated over corruption allegations.
Kwaga is among individuals awarded plum state appointments by ICT Cabinet Secretary Joe Mucheru.
Mucheru announced the revoking of the appointment.
Kwaga will be a member of the board of Kenya Institute of Mass Communication, with Mucheru refusing to comment on the matter.
But National Coordinator of Civil Society Congress Suba Churchill told the Star that the appointment should be revoked.
“I think it would be an embarrassment to the appointing authority. The state must move with speed and stop the appointment. It must nullify any Gazette notices to that effect,” Suba said.
Suba said the appointment is highly likely to hit a snag like former Sports Minister Hassan Wario who was appointed ambassador and later charged and his passport confiscated.
The activist told the newspaper that the appointment shows how shallow vetting of appointees is.
Kwaga’s assets were frozen by the High Court after the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission filed a Sh1.9 billion recovery suit against him and his six relatives who include his mother and wife.
The EACC says Kwaga and his relatives registered several companies to fraudulently acquire public funds through unmerited high-value tenders — some fictitious.
The agency in court papers says Kwaga, in a bid to conceal funds corruptly acquired through fictitious tenders, transferred Sh55,224,977 to offshore accounts in China and Hong Kong.
Activists said it was looking into how the Constitution will clear Kwaga as it bars public officers from opening or operating bank accounts outside Kenya without approval from the EACC.
Activists will be keen how Kwaga get clearance letter from EACC and a letter of good conduct from the DCI, both investigating him, to be appointment.
