20110513
Nation

Nairobi — President Jakaya Kikwete has ordered the immediate publication of a corruption report whose delayed release by the government has soured ties with donor countries, some of which have threatened to withhold aid.

Mr Kikwete directed that the National Governance and Corruption Survey report be made public without delay, on a day that the government signed an agreement with 12 donor countries and institutions for funding to the tune of $562 million in budget support for the 2011-2012 financial year.

The president's decision was announced on Friday in Dodoma by the Prime Minister, Mr Mizengo Pinda, during a joint General Budget Support (GBS) meeting attended by the 12 donor countries' diplomatic representatives in the country.

Fulfil conditions

The GBS members, including the African Development Bank, Canada, Denmark, European Union, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Britain and the World Bank, would immediately avail $453 million for the June Budget.

But another commitment of $100 million will only be released to the government subject to fulfilment of certain conditions. Apart from corruption, these also include opening up infrastructure and fully embracing the private sector.

This year's budget funding is $80 million less following the withdrawal of two countries from the GBS arrangement.

Compiled in 2009 by the Prevention and Combating of Corruption Bureau, the corruption survey funded by the Danish government was reportedly awaiting Cabinet approval before it could be made public.

"But today morning I met the president who has given his orders for its release," said Mr Pinda.

He told reporters that Mr Kikwete had taken the decision as a matter of public interest. However, he did not say when the report would be published.

The Danish embassy's deputy head of mission, Mr Jesper Kammersgaard, told the Nation in an exclusive interview that findings and recommendations of the report were meant to identify culprits and help establish better mechanisms to fight corruption.

Friday's joint meeting was held on the sidelines of the week-long government consultative forum and was attended by several cabinet ministers, permanent secretaries and other senior state officials.

Pacify donors

Mr Kikwete, who has been chairing the meetings, did not attend yesterday's GBS function.

The rush to publish the corruption report would likely be viewed as a deliberate move to pacify the donor community, with GBS chairman Ms Ingunn Klepsvik, and the head of the European Union, Mr Tim Clarke, affirming on Friday that the war against corruption must be seen to bear tangible results to restore full confidence on the country's general leadership.

The government has been battling to clean its image in high profile corruption scandals revolving around the central bank's Sh133bn External Payment Account, the $172 million Richmond emergency power supply contract, the $40 million Radar deal and other highly questionable deals worth billions of shillings in the mining sector.