The High Court in Kenya Thursday ordered former Permanent Secretary for Governance and ethics and anti-corruption whistleblower, John Githongo, to pay Chris Murungaru Ksh27 million.
Murungaru, who once served as the Minister for Internal Security and Provincial Affairs during President Mwai Kibaki's tenure, had sued Mr Githongo for defamation charges after the whistleblower implicated him in the Anglo-leasing scandal.
Githongo has since sent out a personal statement expressing his disappointment at the ruling, adding that he will appeal the judgment as vigorously as possible.
"I am disappointed though unsurprised by the judgement that has emerged from the High Court with regard to the Anglo Leasing defamation matter brought against me," stated an excerpt of his statement.
The whistleblower, who once worked as a journalist, expressed his disappointment that the case has dragged on, bouncing from judge to judge over a period of 13 years, as well as the court's decision to disallow him to introduce any witness evidence.
He went on to criticize President Uhuru Kenyatta's government citing rampant plundering of taxpayers' money at an unprecedented level.
"Over the past six years, in particular, the plunder of public resources has accelerated to levels never witnessed in Kenyan history since independence," Githongo stated.
On January 22, 2006, Mr Githongo named then Vice-President Moody Awori as one of four top politicians with the then Justice Minister and present Meru county Governor, Kiraitu Murungi, former finance minister, David Mwiraria and former transport minister, Chris Murungaru, as being involved in a scam that led to looting of more than worth Ksh60 billion.
Going on to add that President Kibaki was complicit in the entire scandal hinged on the award of a huge contract given to Anglo-Leasing – a company that proved to be non-existent.
He then snuck away to the UK where he has been living in exile after claiming that had received credible threats to his life, thereby forcing him to flee.
This claim was later vindicated following WikiLeaks of a secret cable by US ambassador in Kenya to Washington on September 16, 2009.
Paragraph five of the leaked document revealed former head of the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, Aaron Ringera, identified in a room with leading Kikuyu politicians, including ministers of government, plotting to kill Githongo.
The corruption whistleblower also provided tape evidence that allegedly implicated Mr Murungi trying to buy off a lawyer's loan if he decided to 'go slow' on the Anglo-Leasing saga.
