Has Ruto Betrayed the Kalenjin Community in the Ongoing Corruption Purge?

 

Is the War on Corruption Political or going tribal?

The fight against corruption seem to be gaining momentum with each day that passes with the government agencies tasked with completely doing away with this vice tightening their belts in order to ensure that Kenya becomes corruption free.

The war on corruption has seen a number of senior managers and government officials leave office. The past few days have however seen a good number of mangers from the Kalenjin community leave office with leaders from the Community resisting an alleged onslaught on members of their community.

Senior Kalenjin managers at Kenya Power, the Kenya Pipeline Corporation, Kenyatta National Hospital, NSSF, NHIF and the NCPB, among others have had dramatic exits from their senior positions in the last few months.

There are those who opine that these Kalenjins were targeted as part of the wider drive to contain Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 ambitions. Others say they were targeted because they were plainly incompetent, or that it was simply a case of being caught with the hands in the cookie jar. Ruto, the man at the center of all these has now come out and warned leaders against politicizing the war against corruption.

Speaking at Lelboinet Boys High School in Elgeyo Marakwet County on Friday, the Deputy President said the war against corruption was a collective responsibility where all Kenyans must participate if the exercise has to yield fruits.

“Civil servants should do their work well and without any fear as no one will victimise them. The ongoing fight against corruption only targets those responsible for the vice,” said Mr Ruto.

 

He urged the Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Judiciary to carry out their duties without fear, blackmail or mechanisms that could undermine their work.

“Prosecutions and investigations are not political. Such mandates are clear. We should therefore not politicise institutions dealing with prosecutions. They should be left to operate independently without any partisan or regional interests,” said Mr Ruto.

“Courts must also be left to make decisions on the basis of law and justice so as not to undermine the country’s democracy and the way the public are being served.” he added.

Ruto’s latest remarks will surely shock a number of Kalenjin leaders who expected him to support his embattled tribesmen.

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