John Githongo is due to return to Kenya today, three years after fleeing to the UK after exposing corruption in the Kenyan government. In 1999 the former journalist had founded the Kenyan branch of Transparency International, an organisation designed for fighting corruption. When President Kibaki was elected on an anti-corruption platform, Githongo was appointed Permanent Secretary for Governance and Ethics.
During his time working for the government it became increasingly clear to Githongo that senior members of the government were diverting public funds by arranging for payments to be made to non-existent companies for services which were not provided. When it became apparent to Githongo that the president was not in a hurry to address these issues, and that some of the diverted funds were intended to be used by the government in seeking re-election, he began to take seriously the threats which were made on his life, and he left for England.
The balance of power has now changed in Kenya, with the appointment of Mr Odinga as Prime Minister and Mr Kalonzo as vice-president. In a recent interview with the Daily Nation, Githongo said: “I intend to speak my mind on what I feel needs to be done. I have no political affiliations. My obligations are solely to the people of Kenya – particularly the poor, the dispossessed and those in need.”