Kenyan groups slam return of graft-linked ministers

NAIROBI, Nov 16 (Reuters) Kenyan rights groups today condemned President Mwai Kibaki's reinstatement of two ministers who resigned in graft scandals, saying he was failing to tackle corruption in east Africa's biggest economy.

George Saitoti and Kiraitu Murungi, both close allies of Kibaki, returned on Wednesday as education and energy ministers respectively.

But 16 local civil society organisations, including human rights groups and a lawyers' association, called the move ''immoral and illegitimate'' and urged the government to resign.

Kibaki's government reshuffle angered many Kenyans and Western donors.

''This scandalous action should make it clear to all Kenyans and the world at large that President Kibaki himself is the root cause of the dismal failure which is the war against corruption,'' the groups said in a statement.

''The good standing of ... public institutions will be restored only when he and his entire cabinet collectively resign.'' Defending the move, government officials said the two ministers were innocent and deserved to get their jobs back.

''It is a great step in the fight against corruption,'' government spokesman Alfred Mutua said. ''We do not want to create a situation whereby when you step aside, you are finished.'' Saitoti quit nine months ago after he was linked to Kenya's biggest corruption scandal, the ''Goldenberg'' affair, in which billions of dollars of public funds were siphoned off in a bogus gold and diamonds export scheme.

Murungi, who resigned at the same time as Saitoti, was linked to the ''Anglo Leasing'' scam, in which government contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars were awarded to phantom firms.

Then finance minister David Mwiraria also quit after his name was linked to the scandal -- Kibaki's biggest crisis since he came to power in 2002 vowing to stamp out graft.

In July, a court cleared Saitoti over Goldenberg, which happened in the 1990s when he was finance minister under former President Daniel arap Moi.

The attorney general has contested that decision.

REUTERS SK RAI2137