afrol News, 15 February - Kenya’s president Mwai Kibaki has reversed the suspension of two ministers chased out on corruption charges saying it was illegal since he was not consulted.

On Sunday Prime Minister Raila Odinga suspended Minister of Agriculture William Ruto and Education Minister Samuel Ongeri for three months while the government probes their alleged corrupt practices.

Prime Minister Odinga's suspension of the two ministers followed the announcement Saturday night by Mr Kibaki that he was suspending eight top government officials who were implicated in reports on the two scandals.

The president challenged the decision, saying that the legal provisions, on which the Prime Minister acted, do not confer him the authority to cause a minister to vacate.

According to the country's constitution, ‘the Office of a Minister can only become vacant if the President so directs’.

However, Mr Odinga has maintained that two recent investigations, one into a subsidised maize scam and the other into the disappearance of funds at the education ministry had laid credible foundations for the two ministers to be investigated.

A recent audit into a maize scandal revealed that $26 million (£16.5m) had gone missing, and that more than $1 million was stolen in an education scam.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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