Corruption charges for Kenya MPs

President Kibaki's government has done little to curb graft, critics say

Kenya's anti-corruption watchdog is suing seven current and former members of parliament for taking illegal allowances worth $250,000 (£166,000).

Information Minister Samuel Poghisio has denied taking 2.8m shillings ($35,000, £23,000) in 2006 and 2007.

Similar allegations have been filed against the assistant defence minister and five former members of parliament.

Critics say President Mwai Kibaki's government has done little to stamp out graft in east Africa's largest economy.

"[Mr Poghisio] made improper use of his duties, status and power for personal gain or benefit," says the suit filed by the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission.

The benefit was "purportedly as an allowance for 'parliamentary service office holders', an allowance unknown to the law," it adds.

Mr Poghisio became a minister earlier this year, when Kenya's coalition government was formed amid post-election violence.

But he said he had not claimed the money, and had not committed any crime.

"I am not in any way associated with fraud or corruption, my record on public life is very clear," he told the BBC's Focus on Africa programme.

"I know that all the newspapers today have said that we're charged with false mileage claims, a totally different kind of offence than the one that is being claimed to me in court.

"So I believe there is a sinister motive in all this publicity and I just need to assure friends and allies that I am above all that... I'm not committing any crime."

Abuse of office

Papers lodged at Nairobi's Chief Magistrate's Court also said assistant defence minister David Musila took 5.6 million shillings in the same way, the highest of all the payments.

Another five former MPs - Peter Oloo Aringo, Joseph Kamotho, Daniel Khamasi, Justin Muturi and David Ethuro - took a total of 11.9 million shillings from public coffers.

The KACC says the men received the allowances with the full knowledge that they were illegal. It claims they improperly used their offices and wrongfully acquired public property.

None of the defendants were available to respond to the charges.

Opinion polls show that Kenyans view most of their politicians as unscrupulous.

But MPs often argue that they are under enormous pressure to help constituents with payments ranging from school fees to medicines.

A week ago, Kenyan MPs infuriated the public by blocking a move to make them pay taxes on their salaries, which are already among the highest for parliamentarians anywhere in the world.