This archive report was first published on 27 July 2019.
President Uhuru Kenyatta's administration has been marred by corruption scandals, yet he has only recently taken action against a few high-ranking officials. The arrest of Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich and his co-accused on charges related to the financing of dam construction in Elgeyo Marakwet County has raised questions about the president's commitment to fighting graft.
Published on July 27, 2019, the article highlights the contradictions in Kenyatta's approach to corruption. While he has expressed his commitment to ending graft, no high-level official has been jailed, and several individuals he previously outed in his 'List of Shame' have been reappointed to public service.
The article also notes that the Treasury is a critical ministry, and it is unclear how long Kenyatta has known about the alleged corruption involving Rotich and his co-accused. The author argues that if Rotich and his co-accused are guilty of the charges, they should also be investigated for other scandals, including the NYS I and II, the Eurobond heist, and the standard gauge railway scam.
The article concludes that Kenyatta's approach to fighting corruption is half-hearted and that he wants to reduce graft rather than eliminate it. The author suggests that this approach is unlikely to be effective in addressing the root causes of corruption in Kenya.
- The writer is an Assistant Professor at Georgetown University
Related Topics:
- Ken Opala
- President Uhuru Kenyatta
- Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich
- Elgeyo Marakwet County
