Resign? Am Sorry, Not Me! Joho Tells President

Joho said that he was not going to step aside despite being mentioned in the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) report.

Joho said that there is a clear procedure set by the constitution if an elected leader has to resign or step aside.

The outspoken Mombasa Governor is being investigated for facilitating the grabbing of Mwembe Tayari Market by a Mr. Bawazir and a Mr. Zubedi by authorising the demolition of the original burnt structure under the guise of flushing out drug addicts, muggers and criminals.

The report, which was tabled in Parliament on Tuesday, also named Mr. Evanson Waitiki, the owner of the controversy-ridden Waitiki farm in Likoni, as being investigated jointly with Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu for allegedly colluding to inflate the cost of the farm by Ksh 110 million for compensation purposes in a deal that the cabinet secretary would have pocketed sh65 million.

But Mr Joho said he was not involved in the sale of the Mwembe Tayari market, stating that he will not resign.

Governors, MPs and Senators named in graft report

His statement comes even as EACC commissioner Prof. Jane Onsongo resigned on Tuesday.

The commissioner cited infighting within the commission and the secretariat as the reason for her exit, saying it has become impossible to effectively execute her mandate at the anti graft body.

The graft dossier has implicated 175 state officers including 13 governors, two senators, 61 MPs and three permanent secretaries.

Suspended Agriculture CS Felix Koskei is accused of flouting tendering procedures by secretly allocating permits to sugar importers while labour's Kazungu Kambi is accused of being involved in the controversial NSSF Tassia-2 project which was inflated from Ksh 3 billion to Ksh 5 billion.

Transport CS Michael Kamau is accused of manipulating road tender awards for his own benefit while Energy's Davis Chirchir is accused of attempting to influence award of tender of Kenya Pipeline Company to Sinopec instead of Zakhem which was to cost USD 50 million.

All members of the Parliament Public Accounts Committee and Agriculture Committee have also been implicated.

By Maureen Murimi