NAIROBI, Feb. 13 (Xinhuanet) -- Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki on Monday announces resignations of energy and education ministers to allow for investigations into two corruption scandals.

    In a live TV/Radio address to the nation from State HouseNairobi on Monday evening, President Kibaki said after careful consideration he had accepted requests by Education Minister George Saitoti and Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi to step aside to give way for investigations into the issues raised against them.

    In this regard, the head of state urged all Kenyans to exercise patience as the relevant arms of the law carry out investigations into the issues.

    The Goldenberg scam related with Education Minister George Saitoti involved licenses and credits for fictitious gold and diamond exports in the early 1990s. The fraud, which began in 1991,is estimated to have cost 600 million U.S. dollars and implicated senior political figures.

    The Goldenberg International is accused of receiving hundreds of millions of dollars of payments for diamond and gold exports during the rule of former president Daniel arap Moi.

    The Anglo Leasing scandal, which Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi was involved in, centered on contract totaling 6.7 billion shillings (about 91 million U.S. dollars) to supply tamper-proof passports and forensic science labs. Enditem