Culprits must be publicly named and shamed to win the war on corruption.
That’s what Siaya Senator James Orengo said on Tuesday before the opening of the Devolution Conference at Sagana State Lodge, Kirinyaga county.
Arrests and trials are important, but not enough, he said.
“At this stage when corruption has become a cancer, the fight is not going to be won without naming names,” the Senate Minority leader said.
“We should not be scared of naming and shaming,” Orengo said, adding that’s one way to ensure leaders adhere to the Constitution’s Chapter Six on integrity.
Kenyan leaders are always scared when their names are associated with corruption, “even if it’s just to record a statement”, he said.
Many countries that have succeeded in fighting corruption used the name-and-shame strategy as a deterrent, Orengo said.
In the US, for instance, President Donald Trump is being investigated by the House of Representatives, while in Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also facing allegations of misconduct.
“Kenyans should know that however powerful or mighty you are, if you have committed an act of corruption, you are not beyond the law. We will succeed if we assure people nobody is above the law,” Orengo said.