President Uhuru Kenyatta has come under fire from Vice President William Ruto for making the fight against corruption personal.
Ruto promised to reenergize the battle against corruption if elected president in August while speaking to civic society participants at Hermosa in Karen, Nairobi County.
He emphasized that the country’s problems are a result of widespread corruption at both levels of government.
The vice president declared he will give the battle against corruption first priority while exuding confidence that he will win the presidential election on August 9.
He added that graft must be combated institutionally so that everyone, including the President, is held accountable. He claimed that the Kenya Kwanza government that will be constituted would not spare anyone.
“We must avoid making corruption personal or political. To ensure that everyone, even the president, is held accountable, we must handle it from an institutional space, added Ruto.
He contends that the campaign against corruption has failed because it has evolved into a personal conflict, weakening the necessary institutions.
Because it is being led by someone from someplace, he claimed, the fight against corruption hasn’t advanced much.
DP Ruto stated that his administration will establish and strengthen independent agencies tasked with combating corruption.
“We will be held accountable for ensuring that the institutions are powerful enough to handle every situation. State capture and conflicts of interest are issues that we must address, he said.
Ruto added that the Judiciary had been rendered ineffective in the battle against corruption due to a shortage of human resources because President Uhuru Kenyatta had failed to appoint the six of the 40 remaining justices.
