• Anti-graft agencies dismiss claims that Ruaraka land case is too hot to touch.
• DPP says dams case complex, involves a web of parties, including foreigners.
Image: FAITH MUTEGI
Two governors will soon be prosecuted as the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission intensifies its war on graft.
EACC boss Twalib Mbarak revealed on Thursday that they will soon net the two county bosses. It was not immediately clear who the two are as he did not give details, only adding they are pursuing many governors.
"In the next one or two months, we will have at least one or two governors charged,” Twalib told Citizen TV in an interview.
"Quite a number are under investigations.
“When I took up this job, I said I’d focus on the big baboons. It is working. Our team is efficient."
During the same interview, DPP Noordin Haji said the dam scandal case will take longer to conclude given the intricacies involved, including having to liaise with foreign governments in investigations as foreign nationals are involved.
“The process is tedious. We hope to conclude in good time but maybe not in two years,” Haji said.
Haji was responding to a question on why the case has taken too long to conclude. Former Treasury CS Henry Rotich and former PS Kamau Thugge were charged in relation to the scandal.
The two agencies have set a two-year period within which they intend to conclude cases, with the exception of the Kimwarer and Arror dams case.
On the Ruaraka land issue, Haji dismissed claims that his office fears handling the case. He said the matter is already before court as a civil suit over ownership, hence the need to wait for its outcome as it has a bearing on their next course of action. He said the decision to institute criminal charges will depend on the ruling.
“We will decide the best way forward. We have a lot behind the scenes before we make a decision to charge. Kenyans need to be patient.
“We will deal with every case before us. This will be dealt with in due course,” Haji said.
The agencies also sought to allay fears of bias in their work, rejecting allegations that they target individuals of certain political persuasions.
There have been claims that people allied to Tangatanga, an informal political formation linked with DP William Ruto, are targeted in the war on graft. But Mbarak said nothing could be further from the truth.
"We go by facts. We have charged people from either side of the political divide. We have culprits from all across the country. We have a mixed plate,” he said.
He added that they are focussing on high-impact cases, asset recovery and prevention of corruption.
Edited by F'Orieny