UK COURT ACCUSES KENYAN GOVT.

A UK court has accused the Kenyan government of dragging its feet in convicting Kenyans involved in the Chickengate scandal despite British liaison efforts.

The London court fined printing firm Smith & Ouzman Ltd £2.2 million (Sh350 million) for bribing Kenyan state officers.

The EACC has made little headway in local investigations and no one has been charged over the matter to date, almost a year after the UK company directors were charged.

“The Crown have indicated that they have tried to liaise with the respective governments [Kenya and Mauritius] to identify a means by which compensation may be paid it being their policy whenever practical to seek compensation,” the ruling reads.

“However, they are not positively pursuing compensation in this case.”

Judge Andrew Mitchell said there has never been a formal request from Kenya for compensation and he is unsure the affected states have taken any steps to recover the looted cash from their own officials.

However, Assets Recovery Agency director Muthoni Kimani refuted claims it is unwilling to pursue the Chickengate cash.

“We will sit down properly with the UK government over this matter,” she told the Star.

The British directors paid out bribes codenamed ‘chicken’ totalling Sh53 million to Kenyan electoral and examination officials to win lucrative printing contracts.