African Food and Art

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Kenyan Navy Anglo-Leasing Scandal

Kenyan warship Jasiri waited ten long years before it was put into service by the Kenyan Navy. Why so long? Why did it take the Kenyan government take so long to look into the 33 million dollar Anglo-Leasing scandal and who is the guilty party.



The Kenyan warship KNS Jasiri

Kenyan Navy Anglo-Leasing Scandal


The Kenyan Navy celebrated its 50th Anniversary on December 15, 2014, at Mtongwe Base, Mombasa Kenya. The US Navy operates a base at the Kenyan island of Manda Bay and has over the years offered counter-terrorism skills training to the Kenyan Navy.

Kenya's largest and most modern warship is the KNS Jasiri. Jasiri means bold in the Kiswahili language. The bold Jasiri warship made a splash as it docked at the Mkunguni Navy yard, concluding a 20-day journey from Spain ending on August 12. 2012.

The bold warship, estimated to cost around $55 million, would be used to secure the country's coastline and may be deployed in sea-based military incursions in neighboring Somalia protecting Kenya’s 310-mile long coastline against pirates.

According to Defense Web, Kenya loses $414 million every year from piracy. The 1,400-ton Jasiri is 278 feet long, 42 feet wide and has a maximum speed of 28 knots (50 km/h) and can carry between 60 - 81 personnel mission is also to fight terrorism such as Al-Qaeda and Al-Shabaab extremist groups.

The warship Jasiri had a ten-year wait before it was put into service by the KenyanNavy. Why so long? The KNS Jasiri was ordered in July 2003 and was supposed to be delivered in August 2005, but never arrived due to the Kenyan Anglo-Leasing scam.

According to the World Bank Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative, beginning in 1997 the Anglo Leasing and Finance Ltd better known as Anglo Leasing was a shell company who secured 18 contracts worth 33 million dollars.

These contracts were supposed to be used for Procurement of Passport Issuing Equipment and special purpose finance vehicles. The Kenyan battleship Jasiri was originally a part of the Anglo-Leasing scam.

Contractual disputes and lawsuits against the Kenyan Government and contractor Euromarine Industries began after payments were suspended in June 2005.

Under former Presidents Daniel arap Moi and Mwai Kibaki seven ex-government officials in Kenya have been charged in connection with the Anglo Leasing multimillion-dollar corruption scandal.

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