Tinderet Member of Henry Kosgey has been reinstated as the Industrialization Minister, by President Mwai Kibaki on Friday after the Court cleared him in abuse. 

"President Kibaki has today (Friday) re-appointed Henry Kosgey into the Cabinet," read a statement from the Presidential Press Service.

It further stated that Mr Kosgey will resume his duties at the ministry of Industrialisation with "immediate effect". 

In January 2011, Kosgey had stepped aside as the minister but denied charges over corruption with 12 counts of abuse of office.

Kosgey had been accused of using his office to exempt 123 imported motor vehicles for certain individuals and companies from the application of Kenya Standards code of practice for road vehicles without the advice of the National Standards Council.

The Industrialization minister’s resignation came after the then Attorney General Amos Wako gave consent to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission to prosecute the Minister.

The anti-graft agency said it had lined up eight counts of abuse of office against the minister for allowing the importation of cars above the recommended eight-year limit.

In his defence, the Minister however, said he was innocent and maintained that all his actions were within the law.

"I wish to state that my actions in this matter are above reproach, because I have committed no wrongdoing," he said and added: "It is also important to note that no money, not even a single cent was lost by the government in connection with any of these exemptions."

Subsequently, in June this year, he was cleared of Abuse of office charges by Justice Nicholas Ombija who ruled that the 12 counts of abuse of office charges could not succeed and that his prosecution would amount to an abuse of the court process.

“To charge him would amount to breaching his constitutional rights since the two legal notices he was alleged to breached had not been adopted by Parliament as law,” Justice Ombija, a High Court judge ruled.  “It was a case of settling scores,” the judge had added.

Similarly, In January, the Tinderet MP was exonerated from the post-elections violence related cases at the International Criminal Court against him and General Mohamed Hussein Ali.

The Pre Trial Chamber 11 presiding Judge Ekaterina Trendafilova during the confirmation of the charges, she had said, “As to Mr. Kosgey and Mr. Ali, the Chamber wishes to clarify that they are no longer Suspects before the Court.”

The ODM chairman is currently seeking to be Prime Minister Raila Odinga's Presidential running mate in the next general election.

In many political rallies, he has reiterated his zeal of being his running mates, for instance, while accompanied by Cherangani Member of Parliament Joshua Kutuny in a funds drive to raise money for St Paul’s Kiptoror secondary school along the Trans Nzoia and Marakwet border, Kosgey said that he has vast experience that qualifies him to go for the position.

“In the next general elections I want to be the running mate of Raila Amollo Odinga for the seat of president in the ODM party which is a national party and thus, I am looking for your support and blessings in my bid."