Ex-CS Narrates Rejecting Billions in Bribes

Former Education Cabinet Secretary Professor Jacob Kaimenyi on Saturday, January 11, launched his second and third books Betrayal of Public Trust and Don't Hesitate as reported by Daily Nation on Saturday, January 18.

In Betrayal of Public Trust, Kaimenyi revealed that while he served at the helm of both the Education and Lands ministries, he was approached by highly placed individuals within the government with offers in excess of billions to subvert bylaws in the awarding of government tenders.

The former Education CS explained that he was approached a group of individuals who had a very tough request for him. He was to award them the tender to supply laptops to Standard One pupils in accordance with President Uhuru's Kenyatta's manifesto of 2013.

The tender would cost billions and Kaimenyi wrote that he was assured of a huge percentage of the money, but declined, noting it was impossible to grant their wish.

He published that a motion of no confidence was tabled against him on the floor of the National Assembly in July 2015 after he rejected the offer.

Kaimenyi recounted that he was approached by another group which offered to counter the motion against him in exchange for a payment of Ksh5 million.

"I told them that I could not do such a thing because I did not have the money, unless I borrowed it from a bank or stole it," Kaimenyi narrated. The motion flopped as MPs were unable to gather the necessary evidence. 

On another instance, Kaimenyi revealed that he was approached by a close friend while serving at the helm of the Ministry of Lands, who presented him with a scheme with which they would make a fortune.

His friend wanted to form a company with which they would identify pieces of land whose leases were nearing expiry. They would then demand "something small' from the owners before renewing the leases.

"When this seemingly enticing proposal was put to me, I could not believe my eyes," Kaimenyi wrote, adding that he could not accept such an offer.

Kaimenyi interestingly recounted that some of the offers made to him were not even monetary. On two instances, one by a friend's wife and another by a woman he identified as much older and a national leader, the former CS was offered sex in exchange for favours.

"Leadership places an individual at the centre of temptations, and these temptations are many. You don't have to be a bad leader to endure the allure of shortcuts," Kaimenyi advised.

"You just need to sit at the helm of a nation, organisation or even family, and the floodgate of ideas and options that lead towards abuse will present themselves," he noted.

Kaimenyi is the incumbent Kenyan Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and the European Union.

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