Phillip Kinisu, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chair has expressed his stand by stating that he will not resign as EACC chair.
“My resigning will be setting a terrible precedent because any person can fabricate any claim against a public official. Like they can say I am a poacher or a diamond smuggler. I cannot act on information which I know to be false,” he said.
The former PwC chief executive was nominated the new chair of Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) as new leadership sought amid reports of high-level graft in the country.
Kinisu, who is accused doing illegal business with the National Youth Service (NYS) prior to his appointment at the anti-graft body said that he will not resign unless it is proven that he committed a crime.
“The allegations that have been made against the company and I are unsubstantiated and yet as I speak to you this morning, we have been tried and convicted in the court of public opinion by the deliberate manner in which the matters have been framed and orchestrated,” said Kinisu.
Mr Kinisu owns Esaki Limited with his wife and daughter, a company which is now under scrutiny after it was revealed that the company was paid a total of Sh35,417,209 to supply borehole materials to the NYS between October 2014 and November 2015.
Kinisu further denied the existence of any conflict of interest that arises given his capacity at the graft fighting body that was involved in the investigation of the loss of 791 million from NYS.
“Until it is shown that what I know as the truth is not true I will not resign. In any case NYS transactions are being investigated by a multi-agency team over which the chairman cannot exert undue influence,” he stated.
Kinisu is also the chairman of the African Population and Health Research Centre, whose operations have been queried by the NGOs Coordination Board (NCB).
Over the past three years, the NGO received in excess of Sh5 billion which could not be accounted.
In his defense, Kinisu said “All the funds have been audited by internationally acclaimed auditors there have never been queries.”