Davis Chirchir, nominated as Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Transport, has had a career marred by several controversies, with the “Chicken gate” scandal being the most recent one.
This scandal implicates Chirchir during his tenure at the defunct Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC), involving allegations of bribery by the UK firm Smith and Ouzman to secure lucrative ballot printing contracts in Kenya.
Despite being cleared of wrongdoing by investigations, the shadow of this scandal has continued to haunt his public service career.
The “Chicken gate” scandal erupted when it was revealed that Smith and Ouzman had allegedly paid bribes to several Kenyan election officials to win contracts for printing election materials.
These bribes were coded as “chicken” in communication between the parties involved.
The scandal became widely known after the UK’s Serious Fraud Office conducted a four-year investigation, leading to the conviction of the firm’s executives in a London court.
Chirchir, who was the Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary at the time, was among those named in connection with the scandal.
In 2015, President Uhuru Kenyatta suspended Chirchir from his ministerial post as part of a broader anti-corruption drive.
Although Chirchir has repeatedly denied any involvement in the scandal, stating that he resigned to allow for a fair investigation, the allegations have left a lasting impact on his reputation.
During his vetting for the Transport CS position, the “Chicken gate” scandal was a focal point of scrutiny.
Chirchir defended himself by emphasizing that investigations had cleared him of any criminal culpability.
He presented documentation to prove that those found guilty had been prosecuted and that he was not among them.
Despite this, the scandal continues to be a contentious issue, reflecting the ongoing challenges of addressing corruption within Kenyan public service.
Chirchir’s career trajectory underscores the difficulties faced by public officials in restoring their reputations after being implicated in corruption scandals.
As he steps into the role of Transport CS, his past controversies are likely to remain a topic of public interest and debate.
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