This archive report was first published on 13 July 2019.
Published on July 13, 2019, the fight against corruption in Kenya remains a pressing concern. Despite government efforts, the vice continues to plague the nation, raising questions about the commitment to the crusade.
The government's shake-up of anti-corruption agencies last year saw President Uhuru Kenyatta appoint new directors for the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions. A new director was also appointed at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
Initially, the new directors made significant strides in combating corruption, with aggressive crackdowns on government officials suspected of perpetrating the vice. However, the momentum seems to have stalled, with most cases stalling in courts due to slow judicial progress or poor investigations.
Grand cases of corruption continue to unfold, highlighting the extensive networks of graft at both national and county government levels. The public's anger over the government's inability to tame corruption is palpable, with many questioning the strong will to end graft.
The recent African Anti-Corruption Day convention in Nairobi served as a platform for discussion, but failed to yield concrete action. The public expects the government to apprehend and recover assets generated through graft, and ultimately plough them back into government revenues.
President Kenyatta must lead the fight against corruption from the front, prioritizing the war on graft alongside the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions.
