You will be judged on successful prosecutions, Kenyatta tells agencies

President Uhuru Kenyatta PHOTO | FILE 

By PSCU

In Summary

• “It is possible to have successful prosecutions, but the problem is clearly a lack of focus and coordination between the agencies involved in the anti-corruption war,” said the President.
• The asset recovery department is also supposed to ensure that it freezes all property connected to corruption suspects so that they do not use their wealth to delay justice.
• The report also recommends that corruption cases be handled at the High Court level rather than in the magistrate courts to improve efficiency.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has told all agencies involved in the war against corruption that their performance will be judged on the number of cases they win.

The President, who spoke after receiving a report from an anti-corruption task force, said the success of the fight against corruption will be measured by the number of corrupt individuals who are
successfully prosecuted and sent to jail and the size of the property recovered.

He said the agencies responsible for fighting corruption must work together in order to make a meaningful impact in the efforts to control the misuse of public resources.

“It is possible to have successful prosecutions, but the problem is clearly a lack of focus and coordination between the agencies involved in the anti-corruption war,” said the President.

Mr Kenyatta noted that it has been an important week for the fight against graft in Kenya.

This week alone 72 individuals, including a principal secretary and five managing directors were arraigned in court on corruption-related offenses. This brings to 352 the total number of high-profile personalities charged in court for corruption or abuse of office in the last six months alone.

The current anti-corruption onslaught is the most heightened assault against corruption in Kenya’s recent history.

The President also directed Attorney-General Githu Muigai and Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua to put the Asset Recovery Department at the State Law Office into operation so that it can execute its mandate in full.

President Kenyatta said the asset recovery department should be active and vibrant so that it is in a position to recover all property procured through corrupt means.

Freezes all property

The asset recovery department is also supposed to ensure that it freezes all property connected to corruption suspects so that they do not use their wealth to delay justice.

“Corruptly acquired assets should never be used to frustrate justice,” said the President, who spoke at State House on Friday after receiving the report from the Task Force of the Legal, Policy and Institutional Framework for Fighting Corruption in Kenya.

The task force, formed through a directive issued by the President in March this year, explored obstacles that weaken the anti-corruption objectives of the government.

The Attorney-General, who heads the multi-agency task force, said the report recommends radical changes to the anti-corruption law aimed at boosting the efficiency of the agencies involved in the fight against the vice.

“The report recommends radical changes to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, including how it relates to the Director of Public Prosecutions,” said the AG.