The President spoke during Madaraka Day celebrations in Meru on June 1. Photo/KDF.
NAIROBI, Kenya June 1 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has warned that he will not tolerate corrupt officials in his government, while urging Kenyans join hands in fighting rampant corruption in the country.
In his Madaraka Day celebrations speech in Meru, the President said corruption should be eliminated in all sectors for the country to grow.
“We must, with a sense of great urgency, destroy and eliminate corruption in our country before it fully destroys us and the future of our children,” he said at the event held at Kinoru Stadium.
He has already directed fresh vetting for heads of procurement in all government ministries and departments within 90 days to edge out those unsuitable to serve.
“All Heads of Procurement and Accounts in Government Ministries, Departments, Agencies and Parastatals will undergo fresh vetting, including polygraph testing, to determine their integrity and suitability. Those who shall fail the vetting will stand suspended. I expect this exercise be concluded before the start of the new financial year (FY 2018/2019). You will hear of other tougher actions in the days to come,” he warned.
He lauded efforts by the Director of Public Prosecutions Noordin Haji and his DCI counterpart George Kinoti who have already prosecuted some 54 suspects over a mega scandal at the National Youth Service where some Sh468 million was lost.
“The Director of Public Prosecutions, the Police, and other institutions in the multi-agency team against corruption are on the move. They are making decisive steps to build strong cases for the prosecution of corrupt officials,” the President said, in apparent reference to the cases involving 54 suspects—among them Public Service and Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Lillian Omollo as well as NYS Director General Richard Ndubai who were charged on Tuesday with various corruption-related offences and abuse of office.
“I am glad that arrests of senior officials have been made. There are more on the way. I want officials, particularly senior ones, who are directly implicated in corruption to have no place in my administration and for them to go to jail.”
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