Kenya’s Finance minister has finally called it quits amidst pressure from his colleagues to resign after the controversial sale of a five star hotel in the Nairobi city.
The finance minister through a press briefing in his office announced his resignation citing different reasons but as he did this he insisted he was clean in the whole deal that has elicited serious debates in/outside government circles.
The immediate former minister said, “I have requested President Kibaki to be allowed to step aside to facilitate an inquiry into this matter.”
At the same time, police have beat up and arrested a group of activists who were meeting to plan protests against the minister’s handling of the Grand Regency sale.
He has however said his conscience was clean that he well managed the sale of the hotel.
“I’ve held several consultations with President Kibaki, my family, friends and colleagues on Grand Regency. My conscience is very clean on the role of the Treasury and specifically myself on this matter. I am open to an independent inquiry to prove my innocence,” he told reporters.

Earlier, police stormed a Nairobi restaurant and arrested a number of civil society activists who were planning demonstrations against the minister over the sale.
The group, meeting under the aegis of Name and Shame Coalition Against Corruption, had gathered at the city restaurant when riot and regular police in full gear stormed the venue.
It was upon seeing the uninvited guests in uniform that those in the meeting scampered for their safety.
The ministers move may have saved president Mwai Kibaki the agony of showing him the door as the head of state has been on the spotlight to resolve the crisis sparked by the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel, as a parliamentary committee threatened to stall debate on the Budget until Finance minister either resigned or was sacked.
The parliamentary committee on Fiscal Analysis and Appropriation said it would frustrate debate on the Budget at the committee of supplies stage.
Debate at this stage is crucial in validating taxation measures proposed by the Finance Minister.
Without that, government revenue collection through taxation can be severely compromised.
The row raged as the Libyan firm that bought the Grand Regency Hotel said it owned 23 hotels in other African countries, including South Africa, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda.
“We would like to make it clear to the people of Kenya, all MPs and the government of Kenya that all our investments are people and environment friendly, free of any ulterior motives and are done in support for inter-African cooperation and mutual development,” said the Libya Africa Investment Portfolio chairman.
He added: “We would also like to confirm that the purchase of Grand regency Hotel at USD45 (Sh2.9 billion) was done with the utmost professional.”
Earlier a section of Cabinet ministers had asked President Kibaki to break his long silence on the issue and step in. They said the matter should not be used, or seen, as a feud between the two major parties in the coalition, PNU and ODM.
The ministers called on the president to sack the minister with immediate effect if he respects Parliament, which passed a vote of no confidence on the minister.