Anglo-Leasing scam talk dominates ex-Minister David Mwiraria burial

Former Finance Minister, David Mwiraria, was on Saturday, April 22 laid to rest at his home Gitimbine home in Imenti North, Meru County.

Among those in attendance was President Uhuru Kenyatta, opposition chief Raila Odinga, Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi and Meru Governor Peter Munya among others.

Speaking during the Service at MCK in Meru, President Kenyatta said that the late former Finance Minister should be cleared of any wrong doing in the Anglo-Leasing scandal now that there is consensus that he was innocent.

The President urged all those who had condemned him before to come out in the open and state clearly “it was all politics”, and that Mwiraria was not involved in the scam in which Kenya lost billions of shillings.

“Let us all put pressure on the investigative agencies to fully investigate Anglo Leasing, arrest and charge the real culprits. If people had not played politics, Mwiraria would not have been prosecuted and probably he would be alive today,” President Kenyatta said.

Speaking during the service, Mr Odinga said it was a pity that Mwiraria has died before being cleared of the “dragon of Anglo Leasing”.

“Investigations should be carried out and his name should be cleared posthumously of this demon,” the opposition leader said.

Mwiraria succumbed to bone marrow cancer on Thursday, April 13 while undergoing treatment at the Karen Hospital in Nairobi.

Born on September 3, 1938, Mwiraria was a long-serving civil servant before joining politics in 2002 when he was elected to represent Imenti North constituency.

Mwiraria then served as Finance Minister between January, 2003 and February 1, 2006 in former President Mwai Kibaki’s Cabinet.

The late Minister was, however, forced to resign as Minister on February 1, 2006 after being linked to the multi-billion-shilling Anglo Leasing scandal.

Then President Mwai Kibaki in July 2007 appointed him Environment Minister after investigations, although no report was provided clearing Mwiraria from the scandal.

In 2007, Mwiraria lost in the race for the Imenti North seat on the PNU ticket.