Nairobi - Kenya's parliament Wednesday passed a motion of no-confidence against Finance Minister Amos Kimunya over claims of corruption involving the sale of a luxury hotel in Nairobi to Libyan investors. MPs were almost unanimous in condemning Kimunya, of President Mwai Kibaki's Party of National Unity (PNU), and calling for him to resign. However, the final decision now lies with Kibaki.
The political editor of The Daily Nation, Emman Omari, said Kibaki would have little choice but to remove Kimunya if he refuses to resign.
The issue is the latest problem for Kenya's grand coalition government, which was formed this year to end months of brutal violence following the disputed December presidential elections.
Raila Odinga, who claimed that Kibaki stole the election from him, was appointed prime minister as part of the deal.
Odinga's Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and the PNU have been at loggerheads over several issues, including an amnesty for youths awaiting trial for their part in post-election violence.
Kenya's Central Bank sold the Grand Regency Hotel for 2.1 billion Kenyan shillings (44.4 million dollars), but members of parliament claim the true value was closer to 7 billion shillings.
Kimunya has rejected calls to resign, saying that there was only one bidder and the higher valuation was inaccurate.
However, the fact that no attempts were made to attract other bidders and thus push up the price has also drawn fire.
Kenya and Libya last year signed a trade pact giving Libya a head start on investing in Kenya after a meeting between Kibaki and Libyan leader Moamer Gaddafi.
Lands Minister James Orengo, a member of the ODM, has said he wants to revoke the sale, which his ministry apparently pushed through without his knowledge.
Corruption is considered to be rampant in Kenya, and Orengo said that the nation must pull together to fight it.
The Grand Regency is also part of an earlier corruption scandal, in which the government paid businessmen Kamlesh Pattni millions of dollars in a gold export scheme that turned out to be a scam.
Pattni gave the hotel to the Central Bank, allegedly in return for an amnesty for corruption charges related to the scandal.
