Although the issue of corruption has dented the Jubilee government’s image, there have been renewed efforts to deal with the vice in President Kenyatta’s second term.
My Administration is committed to the war against graft, and has revamped and strengthened the @DCI_Kenya and @ODPP_KE to give them capacity to handle these cases. We will continue to work together with the Judiciary to ensure Kenyans get the results they are calling for. pic.twitter.com/wIgDPhQekL— Uhuru Kenyatta (@UKenyatta) February 28, 2019
President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed confidence that the ongoing corruption cases will lead to convictions and return of stolen public assets.
The corruption cases against top government officials and their proxies over the theft of billions of shillings from public coffers are among issues the President is keenly monitoring as he seeks to leave a worthwhile legacy at the end of his term in 2022.
While heaping praise on Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) head George Kinoti “for a job well done”, the President expressed optimism that the renewed war on graft “will soon start bearing fruit”.
“After we cleaned up the office of DPP and the DCI we have a very committed team. You have started seeing big scandals being unearthed and this is just the beginning. You haven’t seen anything yet,” he said in Murang’a County.
Major leadership changes that were made in the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Department of Public Prosecutions have resulted in arrests and prosecution of hundreds of graft suspects in both levels of government, county and national.
Lack of convictions on scandals that rocked the Jubilee leadership in its first term, such as the Afya House saga and the first scandal at NYS has led critics to question whether the current prosecutions will bear fruit.
“We believe that we have a capable and independent Judiciary and every Kenyan hopes that prosecutions will be turned to conviction and sentencing,” Mr Kenyatta was quoted in a previous event.
Will Uhuru succed?