Give me a chance, Tobiko urges Kenyans

The Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko has urged Kenyans to give him a chance to prove that he can perform.

Speaking on BBC’s Network Africa Wednesday morning, the DPP said that he should not be judged harshly and promised to bringing wrongdoers to book.

He said that the burden to prove himself is “heavier” since he is seen as an insider who had operated in the system for years.

Mr Tobiko said that he would not consider the status or social standing of anyone who breaks the law adding that he would be guided by the country’s Constitution and law.

He said it was necessary to take action against lawbreakers if Kenya was to adequately uproot the culture of impunity that has dogged the country.

“I would rather want to disabuse and to debunk all these accusations by my actions and hopefully in the fullness of time, those doubting Thomases or critics will be proven wrong,” Mr Tobiko told the BBC.

He added that no one is above the law and that as DPP, he would follow any evidence of criminality and have those responsible prosecuted irrespective of their status.

“That of course is not to say that I intend to be a populist and rush people to court simply to prove myself when the docket supplied by the investigative agencies do not disclose actionable evidence,” he said.

He also said that all agencies involved in fighting different vices in the country must work together to ensure that criminals are put in their place. He added that the police and especially its investigative units must be reformed in order to fight crime.

“I think it is a sigh of relief. Sometimes there is comfort to be derived when you operate under the shadow of somebody else so in that regard it's like a son who for the first time has been allowed by the father to walk away and start his own family and therefore be responsible for his own affairs,” Mr Tobiko said.

Prior to his appointment, Mr Tobiko was accused of various improprieties ranging from corruption to conflict of interests. He had to appear twice before the Parliamentary Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee which was vetting him after his nomination.

Among his accusers was former Local Government Permanent Secretary Sammy Kirui who claimed that a former aide to President Kibaki, Alfred Getonga, had suggested that he bribe Tobiko with Sh5 million over the Nairobi cemetery land case.

Mr Getonga strongly denied the claims and recorded a statement with the Criminal Investigation Department and detectives summoned Mr Kirui to shed more light into the claims.

The recent acquittal of Eldoret North MP William Ruto had also emerged as a major concern with some terming the case as a failure on the DPP’s part.