Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Tuesday made new ministerial appointments after three of his ministers resigned over graft accusations recently.

According to a statement from the state house, President Kibaki appointed Minister for Lands Amos Kimunya as the new Minister for Finance with immediate effect.

Kivutha Kibwana, the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources, has in addition been appointed Acting Minister for Lands. Henry Obwocha, Minister for Planning, has in addition been appointed Acting Minister for Energy. Noah Wekesa, Minister for Science and Technology, has in addition been appointed Acting Minister for Education.

Former finance minister David Mwiraria resigned on Feb. 1 over allegations of corruption, becoming the first minister in the east African nation to take such decision.

On Monday, George Saitoti and Kiraitu Murungi quit from their education and energy portfolios respectively for financial scandals.

In an address to the nation, President Kibaki said after careful consideration he had accepted requests by the two ministers to step aside to give way for investigations into the issues raised against them.

The head of state had also urged all Kenyans to exercise patience as the relevant arms of the law carry out investigations into the issues.

Saitoti is linked to the so called "Goldenberg scandal." The scandal involved licenses and credits for fictitious gold and diamond exports in the early 1990s.

The Goldenberg International Ltd. is accused of receiving hundreds of millions of dollars of payments for diamond and gold exports. Saitoti was vice president and finance minister when the scandal happened.

Mwiraria and Kiraitu and some other top officials were accused of impeding investigations into the "Anglo Leasing" finance scandal in which the government contracted a nonexistent British firm to deliver tamper-proof passports and police laboratories years ago.

Source: Xinhua