‘Some raw nerves have been touched and corruption culprits will be brought to book,’- Alfred Mutua

 Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has urged politicians to stop politicising the fight against corruption, in the wake of claims by a section of leaders that it is linked to the 2022 succession politics.

Mutua who addressed a press conference at the Maendeleo Chap Chap offices in Nairobi said the fight against corruption should not be seen as targeting a particular community but individuals who steal public money.

“We want to warn those thinking that this fight is about a community or an individual to stop it because we all know that indeed corruption has become a big problem in this country, and we have to fight it without feeling victimised or suspecting that an individual or a community is being targeted,” said Mutua.

He urged the Director of Criminal Investigations and the Director of Public Prosecutions to continue fighting corruption without fear of intimidation and give a deaf ear to those attacking them.

“Kenyans are not stupid, and we know why people are making noise and attacking the investigating agencies; it is because some raw nerves have been touched somewhere and we want the investigators to continue and not give up until corruption culprits are brought to book,” he said.

Deputy President William Ruto and leaders loyal to him, mainly from the Rift Valley, have accused the DCI of being used to settle political scores, allegations he dismissed as propaganda.

On Wednesday, Ruto said if the war on corruption is hijacked by the political class and lacks integrity, that is corruption in itself.

“The war on corruption is an integrity war, therefore, the war on corruption that lacks integrity is not a war on corruption, it becomes corruption in itself,” said Ruto.

He said as an administration, they have made deliberate investment in all governance institutions to enable them to prosecute the cases of corruption independently.

However, there have been vested interests to hijack the war on corruption and turn it against government programmes, he said.

The DP added that if the war on graft is politicized, many government projects will be affected, and many civil servants made causalities.

“I’m surprised, that there are people who have a problem with my constant assertions that the war on corruption must be fact-led and evidence based and in accordance to the law. How can a reasonable person have a problem with evidence, the truth and with the law, if you are genuinely fighting corruption?” posed Ruto.

He was speaking during the official opening of the First Inter-Professional Summit at PrideInn Hotel, Mombasa. 

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