US supports action taken by President

US Ambassador to Kenya Robert Godec. A group of diplomats on Wednesday, November 4, 2015 came to the defence of 957 NGOs that are at risk of being deregistered saying their regulations must be fair and justly administered. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI |

What you need to know:

  • Ambassador welcomes move.
  • President Kenyatta on Saturday suspended four Cabinet secretaries and eight top State officials named in a confidential anti-graft report.

The United States has supported President Uhuru Kenyatta’s move to suspend several senior government officials implicated in corruption scandals.

But according to the US Ambassador to Kenya, Mr Robert Godec, due process must be followed while investigating and prosecuting those suspected of abetting graft in the country.

Mr Godec said that he welcomed “any action by the government of Kenya that will help address this problem”.

“I welcome the efforts being made to deal with this problem,” he told the Nation on Tuesday during an interview at the US Embassy in Nairobi.

The diplomat said his country and other European nations had previously expressed their displeasure with the way the Jubilee administration was handling graft and called for immediate actions to address the vice.

President Kenyatta on Saturday suspended four Cabinet secretaries and eight top State officials named in a confidential anti-graft report.

As he pushed the CSs named in the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) List of Shame out of his government, the President named four ministers to act in their positions.

The report also contains the names of elected leaders, including 11 governors, some senators and several members of the National Assembly.

Mr Godec said those accused of corruption should be thoroughly investigated and those found guilty made to pay for their sins.