Economy

Murungaru had no reputation to protect, says Githongo in court

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Mr John Githongo, former Ethics and Governance PS. PHOTO | FILE

Anti-corruption activist John Githongo has claimed that former Internal Security minister Chris Murungaru did not have a reputation to protect because he was tainted with graft claims.

Mr Githongo, a former Ethics and Governance permanent secretary, said that Dr Murungaru had no reputation to protect in Kenya and internationally in the period when he was a minister, because the graft allegations regarding him were in the public domain.

“I reject the claim that by the time, Dr Murungaru had a reputation to protect. The discussions with his colleagues in government and others elsewhere had supported the graft allegations that had been made against him,” argued Mr Githongo.

He said claims linking Dr Murungaru to graft had also been made by other public officials in public forums, adding that his mandate at the time was to point out cases of graft in government and report to the President.

He was testifying in a case in which Dr Murungaru has sued him stating that a dossier prepared by Mr Githongo in 2005, which he says was widely circulated, ruined his reputation and destroyed his political career.

Mr Githongo said his terms of employment included advising the President based on an anti-corruption plan that had been developed by the opposition and other organisations, to contain graft, which was believed to have been widespread before the Narc government assumed power.

He said the Narc government, where he served, had been elected on the platform that it would, among others, fight corruption, and that he had a duty to prevent corruption from spilling over from the past regime.