Kenya refutes claims wanted Banda son hiding in State House

Kenya has protested to Zambia for claiming the son of former President Rupiah Banda who is wanted on corruption charges is hiding out at State House in Nairobi.

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula said the government has instructed Kenya’s High Commissioner in Lusaka, Dr Kipyego Cheluget to file the protest.

Mr Wetangula however said the issue of the former President’s son, Henry Banda, would not injure Kenya’s relationship with Zambia and that the southern Africa nation "is very friendly country."

On Saturday, Zambia’s Foreign Affairs Minister Given Lubinda said his government would investigate "revelations" that Mr Banda was hiding out at Kenya’s State House.

Mr Lubinda was quoted by Zambian media as saying his government took the claim seriously "because whistle-blowers come in different forms."

State House through Presidential Press Service director Isaiah Kabira has since dismissed the allegations as "untrue and nonsense."

On Sunday, Mr Wetangula said upon arrival from an official visit to Turkey that State House was perturbed to read the "irresponsible" statement.

Respect

"We should treat our institutions with respect. State House is residence of President and you cannot imply persons running away from law are there," Mr Wetangula said, adding that Nairobi’s State House, Mombasa or any other have never harboured or given sanctuary to Mr Banda.

The minister said Mr Banda was last visited Kenya in November last year and that he had visited the country many times before.

"I personally know him. I met him in Zambia and Pretoria (South Africa). If Zambia government is looking for Mr Banda there are better ways than my counterpart making irresponsible statements," Mr Wetangula said.

He said Zambia has not officially asked Kenya on the whereabouts of Mr Banda.

He said if Mr Banda is in the country the court has to be requested to allow his extradition and that he too be given a chance to defend himself.

"Things have changed. You can’t just put somebody in a bag and fly him out of the country," Mr Wetangula said.

Zambian investigators recently claimed Mr Banda, who is wanted by police for alleged corruption during his father’s rule, is seeking refuge in Kenya.

Warrant

Former Inspector General of Police Dr Martin Malama said an arrest warrant had been issued against Mr Banda and appealed to Interpol member states to help track him down over his involvement in a number of corrupt deals when his father was president.

Former President Banda has also denied that his son was in Kenya and said it was "silly" for the investigative wings to make the allegations.

Among the many deals, Mr Banda is accused of brokering a transaction in which a Kenyan oil trading company, clinched a multi-million-dollar contract to supply finished petroleum products to Zambia.

There were also reports on how the Kenyan businessmen who had attended the tender opening ceremony in Lusaka had been given aide de camps by the previous government.

Mr Banda was also linked to the illegal sale of Zamtel to Libya’s Lap Green Networks whose shareholding in the telecommunication company has since been repossessed by the Zambian government after the commission of inquiry instituted to investigate the transaction found that there was a lot of corruption involved in the deal.

Former President Banda is said to enjoy close links with some businessmen in the country and is said to have quietly attended funeral of one of them in Kenya when he was President.