President Uhuru Kenyatta dismissed corruption allegations from Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi, demanding the legislator provide evidence to the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) during the 2019 Devolution Conference at Kirinyaga University.
"Someone recently claimed I stole something. Let him bring evidence to the DCI," Uhuru said, referencing DCI offices located in Karura Forest. He criticized Sudi's accusations as baseless, adding, "Lamenting at funerals will not help."
Sudi had accused Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga of orchestrating the attempted takeover of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) by Kenya Airways. He also alleged the political alliance blocked Deputy President William Ruto's succession plans after Uhuru's term ends.
The MP criticized DCI George Kinoti for targeting innocent individuals in anti-graft efforts, stating, "So many innocent people have been sacked. If you don't want certain individuals, let them resign instead of fabricating graft charges."
Uhuru defended Kenya's anti-graft institutions, emphasizing their role in the fight against corruption. "This war on corruption will not be won at funerals. It will be won through agencies mandated to do the job," he said during the conference.
He also addressed devolution challenges, criticizing county governments for excessive spending on salaries and recurrent expenses. "There is something wrong with this equation," Uhuru remarked, citing examples of counties allocating budgets entirely to staff payments.
The president proposed a national conference to review revenue utilization policies and highlighted successful agricultural initiatives, including Kirinyaga coffee farmers accessing U.S. markets and Makueni's mango juice industry.
