NAIROBI, Sept 9 (Reuters) - Kenya's anti-corruption chief Patrick Lumumba and his deputies were bundled out of office by parliament, removing a man whose investigations had given fresh impetus to the east African country's disappointing battle against graft.
Lumumba's exit is, however, not a surprise going by what has befallen those who have taken up arms against the vice:
THE FATE OF KENYA'S GRAFT-BUSTERS:
Lumumba, a renowned lawyer and fiery orator, took charge of the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) in July 2010, vowing: "During our watch we shall have no sacred cows."
Lumumba's stinging rhetoric raised hopes among many Kenyans that the war on graft was about to get serious, but critics said he should have taken more suspects to court rather than talk.
His less-colourful predecessor, Judge Aaron Ringera, was also rejected by parliament and civil groups following his re-appointment to a second term by President Mwai Kibaki, who was accused of not following the law in renewing Ringera's term.
Ringera was criticised for his toothless fight against graft, but blamed bad laws and a slow judicial system.
Ringera took over from John Harun Mwau, an ex-policeman, who was also hounded out of office. Mwau was suspended by then President Daniel arap Moi after just six months into his term when he filed charges against senior Treasury officials over a sugar and wheat importation scandal.
His exit was sealed when a Judicial Tribunal tossed him out.
John Githongo, former head of Transparency International-Kenya and chief graft-buster in Kibaki's government, became a whistleblower and fled to London after uncovering major graft scams within the president's inner circle.
Githongo's story was popularised by Michela Wrong in her book "It's Our Turn to Eat". Some of those accused by Githongo are still in office. When the book was published in 2009, most Kenyan booksellers did not display it on shelves for fear of legal retribution, leaving hawkers to sell it at traffic lights.
GRAFT FACTS:
* In early 2011, Lumumba said he was probing four cabinet ministers and 45 other officials in state agencies.
* Lumumba said the KACC was waging war on corrupt government officials ahead of a 2012 poll to prevent a repeat of major financial scams that have helped pay for previous campaigns.
* The KACC has said graft and misuse of funds in government constitute up to 40 percent of national gross domestic product.
* Kenya ranked 154th out of 178 in Transparency International's 2010 corruption perceptions index, on a par with Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Guinea-Bissau and Russia.
* Transparency International-Kenya published a poll last year that showed 97 percent of Kenyans viewed corruption as a major vice in a country that has so far failed to convict a single senior public official for the offence.
SOME SCANDALS PROBED BY LUMUMBA'S TEAM:
* Education Minister Sam Ongeri and his permanent secretary James Ole Kiyiapi dismissed calls by Lumumba to quit over the loss of about 4.2 billion shillings ($45 million) in the Education Ministry, roughly equivalent to 1 percent of the education budget in the 2005-2009 period.
* Former Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey -- who is an International Criminal Court (ICC) suspect -- faces abuse of office allegations in connection with exemptions he granted to import hundreds of second-hand vehicles older than the eight-years age limit. Kosgey denies any wrongdoing.
* Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetangula was suspended last October at his own request after investigators said he should be tried for the loss of $14 million in a deal to buy a new embassy in Japan. Wetangula was re-appointed to his position in August, but parliament has questioned his re-appointment.
* Former Higher Education Minister William Ruto -- who is also an ICC suspect -- beat fraud charges in the High Court over a land deal. Kibaki had suspended him from the cabinet to stand trial, and removed him from cabinet altogether in August.
* Kenya's minister for water was questioned by investigators in December over suspicious government tenders and contracts awarded to firms linked with her. No charges have been laid yet.
* Chrysanthus Okemo, a member of parliament and former finance minister, and Samuel Gichuru, a former managing director of Kenya's sole power supply utility the Kenya Power , are wanted by Britain on money laundering charges. They deny all wrongdoing.
* Some senior civil servants face charges resulting from Kenya's most notorious scandals -- Goldenberg and Anglo Leasing.
* Goldenberg alone led to the loss of at least $1 billion in central bank money via compensation payments for bogus gold and diamond exports prior to the 1992 election.
* The Anglo Leasing scandal, which started prior to the 2002 election, was first discovered in April 2004 when questions were raised in parliament about why the government overpaid on a tender for forgery-proof passports. ($1 = 93.750 Kenyan Shillings) (Reporting by James Macharia)
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
