Addressing Kenyans at the Nyayo Stadium during the Jamhuri Day celebrations, the Head of State spoke strongly against civil servants keen on entrenching corruption in government offices, and urged Kenyans to support him in efforts to root out the vice. Photo/PSCU.
In an apparent reference to CORD leader Raila Odinga, Uhuru said everyone must be ready to be held accountable for their remarks because of the far reaching consequences they have on the economy.
“I agree that those entrusted with public positions must be held to account and if I am guilty the maximum punishment meted out by the sword of justice cuts both ways. If you make accusations and fail to prove them, you too must be held accountable,” he said.
The CORD leader, who has been vocal with claims that up to Sh140 billion from the Eurobond cannot be accounted for, has vowed to defy Monday police summons by the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) which is investigating the matter.
Addressing Kenyans at the Nyayo National Stadium during the Jamhuri Day celebrations, the president also called on the media to be responsible while reporting issues of corruption and keep off from sensational information that end up hurting the nation.
“For those in the fourth estate, be constructive. This is your country after all. Where do you think you will go of things get messed up? What matters most is Kenya,” he told the media.
The Head of State spoke strongly against civil servants keen on entrenching corruption in government offices, and urged Kenyans to support him in efforts to root out the vice.
Describing corruption as a killer disease, President Kenyatta announced that his government will continue to fight corruption and is in the process of freezing and recovering stolen funds.
“Corruption is our greatest enemy. We need to fight it with the same tenacity and unit of purpose with which we have fought and won other battles. Corruption is corrosive, it has brought us destructive ethnic politics which associates public office with the accumulation of wealth. Time has come for Kenyans to fight this vice,” the head of state said.
He told off those claiming the war on corruption is targeting specific individuals, also assuring that it will not spare anyone.
“Those who believe that they are entitled to steal our resources will try to manipulate our political debate,” he said.
President Kenyatta took the opportunity to outline some of the achievements made by his government since taking power, including infrastructural development citing the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) as one of the largest.
The celebrations were attended by local and international dignitaries– including Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and The Aga Khan among others.
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