Attorney General Githu Muigai and the office of the Deputy President are embroiled in a conflict after the former withdrew a report compiled by the Efficiency Monitoring Unit (EMU) which uncovered massive irregularities and financial impropriety at the Council of Legal Education (CLE).
After the damning report was released, CLE hit back insisting EMU, which falls under the office of Deputy President William Ruto, had no powers to carry out any investigations on an independent State agency.
But the Deputy President’s office in response wrote that EMU was within its mandate in compiling the report and overruled the AG’s attempted closure of the matter.
Council chief executive Bitonye Kulundu, told the Public Investments Committee of the National Assembly that the AG had withdrawn the report and urged the committee not to delve into it.
But PIC chairman Adan Keynan maintained that the committee will probe the report saying: “We don’t want to believe what Prof Bitonye is telling us.”
In the report, EMU has unearthed irregularities in recruitment, salaries and academic standards at the council and recommended a freeze on employment until questions surrounding the report are resolved.
But CLE defied the recommendations and advertised eight senior positions at the body that regulates legal training. The report further accused Bitonye of hiring relatives, irregularly changing his job designation, arranging renewal of his term beyond retirement age and drawing irregular salary and allowances.
“Bitonye, the Chief Executive Officer, Phoebe Kariuki, the Personal Assistant to the Director and Frank Were, the Finance Officer, had each employed their relatives, including sons and daughters in this establishment,” the report says.
EMU’s team started investigations in October 2014 after the DP’s office received reports concerning unclear governance and systems issues at CLE.
The post Graft probe splits Ruto, AGs offices appeared first on Mediamax Network Limited.