Odinga says as the government heightens the war on graft, the focus should now shift on asset recovery, a move that requires the agency to work closely with other departments/FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 13 – Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has turned the heat on Asset Recovery Agency in the ongoing war on graft insisting that they must move with speed and ensure that suspects, both those out on bail and the ones facing arrest, do not hide their ill-gotten wealth or access and use it to undermine justice.
Odinga says as the government heightens the war on graft, the focus should now shift on asset recovery, a move that requires the agency to work closely with other departments.
He says the gluttonous lot will only be tamed if they are deprived of their ill-gotten wealth.
“Thanks to the bipartisan support, public lands whose recovery started then stalled under the NARC regime in 2003 has kicked off, with the grabbers denied the ethnic and political party sanctuaries they usually hide in,” Odinga noted.
He says the current political atmosphere has enabled “us to look at our problems minus the usual ethnic lenses. Attempts by suspects to appeal to their ethnic bases have therefore generated near zero support.”
Kenya has over time lost billions of cash meant for development, but to reverse the trend, Odinga says the war on corruption must be made a painful crime.
“Kenyans need these monies seized and returned to the public to finance the many gaps being experienced in the development plans, including repayment of the ever-rising foreign debts,” he asserted.
“The Asset Recovery Agency must move out of boardrooms and be seen to be acting publicly in unison with the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.”
– What President Kenyatta said –
His sentiments come as President Uhuru Kenyatta put the corrupt on notice, saying not money or power will save them from their sins.
READ: I have lost many friends in the war against impunity- Uhuru
“Over the last few weeks, I have lost many friends. Many have called me asking ‘how can you be watching when all the destruction is going on?’ I say a time has come to fight impunity,” the President said on Sunday.
So far, Kenyans have witnessed demolitions of what seemed untouchable, as government moves to reclaim riparian land.
So far, Ukay centre in Westland’s and Southend Mall which was located along Mbagathi and Langata road roundabout.
It all started in Kileleshwa when Java restaurant and Shell petrol station were brought down.
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