End graft or quit, Ruto tells EACC
From left: Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka, DP William Ruto, Bumula MP Boniface Otsiula and Senate majority leader Kithure Kindiki kneel to pray during a church service at Kimatuni catholic church in Bumula Constituency, Bungoma County on March 15, 2015. PHOTO | DPPS
What you need to know:
- He said that the agencies have a responsibility to be accountable for the public resources endowed to them to tame corruption.
- Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen, speaking at the same function, demanded that all parliamentary committees be dissolved following the serious allegations of corruption levelled against them.
Public agencies mandated to ensure integrity must end corruption or quit, Deputy President William Ruto has said.
“These institutions have no excuse about their failure to end corruption in the country,” said Mr Ruto who spoke in Lugari yesterday.
“They have enough resources to execute their mandates and the government does not interfere with their work,” added the DP.
Mr Ruto directed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to get to the bottom of corruption allegations in Parliament.
“These agencies must account for the public resources allocated to them to fight corruption,” said Mr Ruto.
BEEN GIVEN POWERS
“The Constitution has given you powers to weed out corruption, take advantage of this to safeguard public resources threatened by this evil called corruption,” said Mr Ruto.
He spoke at Chekalini Secondary School in Lugari Constituency where he presided over a fundraiser in support of local churches.
“We expect EACC to take its responsibility seriously and end corruption if not, it should exit the scene,” added the DP.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen called for all parliamentary committees to be dissolved after serious allegations of corruption were made against some of them.
“The President cannot be blamed for the corruption that is rearing its head in the Jubilee administration because the chairpersons of these committees are vetted to ensure only clean people take the jobs,” he said.
“We’ll deliberate on this matter in the Senate and make a decision about it,” said Mr Murkomen.
CARRY OWN CROSS
Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki said the war on corruption must not be tribalised, a day after he warned that leaders from Tharaka Nithi would not stop “protecting our own” mentioned in corruption scandals.
“The culprits must carry their own cross. This is a grave matter and we cannot allow tribes to be used to shield culprits. The full force of the law must take its course,” said Prof Kindiki.
Mr Ruto said political parties allied to the Jubilee coalition, including URP and TNA will be absorbed by the Jubilee Alliance Party.
“President Uhuru Kenyatta and I would wish to have an all-inclusive government in future as opposed to coalitions,” Mr Ruto said.
“We shall approach the 2017 polls united,” he said.
