Africa-Press – Kenya. Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has warned that corruption remains the biggest obstacle to Kenya’s progress, despite steady gains in economic and governance reforms.
In a statement on Monday, Kindiki said corruption continues to erode public trust, undermine development, and compromise the nation’s future.
“Notwithstanding the steady progress, between us and the Kenya of our dreams is corruption. It muddies our present and steals the future,” the Deputy President said.
He noted that graft has penetrated all spheres of national life, including the three arms and two levels of government.
The second-in-command added that, it has also crept into civil society, academia, faith institutions, and the daily lives of ordinary citizens.
According to Kindiki, the scale and depth of corruption in the country requires a radical shift in how the menace is addressed.
He likened it to Kenya’s long-running war on poverty, saying the country must adopt an uncompromising, long-term, and non-political strategy.
“Just like the war our nation has waged on poverty over the decades, an uncompromising, long term and non-political strategy to defeat corruption, especially grand corruption, will elevate Kenya to the first world in a generation,” he said.
The Deputy President reiterated that unless corruption is uprooted, it will continue to slow down progress, dilute gains made in economic growth, and frustrate efforts to achieve Kenya’s development vision.
His remarks come at a time when public debate on accountability in government and the use of public resources continues to dominate the national discourse.
On Monday, August 18, President William Ruto in his address to a joint parliamentary group meeting of ODM and UDA, cited reports of attempts to influence legislators.
President Ruto referred to reports that a governor spent Sh150 million to influence senators and that an MP received Sh10 million in connection with a proposed anti-money laundering law.
He warned that anyone found responsible could face legal action, remarks that prompted strong reactions in Parliament.
“There are legitimate concerns about how resources are being spent at the counties, and we cannot run away. By virtue of the position I hold today, I am a consumer of raw intelligence. I know what’s going on,” he said.
“Do you, for example, know that a few members of your committee collected Sh10 million shillings so that you don’t pass that law on anti-money laundering? Did you get the money?” he asked.
Ruto also raised questions on how some county officials access large sums of cash.
“Where does somebody find Sh150 million? Is that his money? That is money that belongs to the county,” he noted.
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