This archive report was first published on 30 September 2019.
On September 29, 2019, US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter faced intense backlash from Kenyans on Twitter over his comments on corruption in the country.
During an integrity walk organized by Transparency International, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and the Judiciary, Ambassador McCarter tweeted that the government's next move in the war against graft should be to target the 'big fish.'
"Stood with courageous friends #TIKenya vs Thievery that is depriving the wananchi of the deserved prosperity of the big 4. We must say NO to thievery. @USAMarafiki is boldly engaging to defeat this cancer of Thievery. The big fish must be caught," McCarter tweeted.
However, his tweet elicited strong reactions from Kenyans who questioned his stance, with some accusing him of hypocrisy and others asking him to explain what the US has done to help Kenya fight corruption.
Responding to the criticism, Ambassador McCarter noted that the cost of the 'big four' agenda was equivalent to the cost of corruption, citing a figure of 800 billion Kenyan shillings.
Others questioned his past interactions with high-ranking officials, with one user asking if he had ever dined with the 'big fish' and another accusing him of failing to take concrete action against corruption.
