Uhuru releases 7,000 inmates to ‘free space for the corrupt’

President Uhuru frees 7,000 inmates to ‘free space for the corrupt’ - VIDEO

President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday released 7,000 offenders who were about to clear their sentences to "open space to jail the big corrupt government officers."

President Kenyatta urged Chief Justice David Maraga to crack the whip on corruption cases currently in courts and jail those he said had been stealing from Kenyans.

During Tuesday's charged anti-corruption summit at State House in Nairobi in which the President blamed different government agencies for derailing the war on graft, the Head of State promised to free up the cells for the corrupt officials.

On Thursday, President Kenyatta again said his government is committed to the war against the vice.

"Now the new CJ can go for the big guys (who are corrupt). The space is there and there is enough beans for them to eat in there," said President Kenyatta during the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Machakos.

The President celebrated Kenyans from all walks of life that he said had liberated the country or worked to restore its independence.

He named as Kenya's heroes the pre-independence fighters, those who fought against the repressive one-party rule of President Daniel Moi in the 1990s, and those who fought and brought the 2010 Constitution.

He also urged Kenyans not to be drawn in by political rhetoric ahead of the August 2017 General Election.

The President also recognised athletics heroes who have time and again ruled the world in the field events.

Deputy President William Ruto said the Jubilee government believes in devolution and had disbursed in excess of Sh 1 trillion to the counties in the past three years.

The event was attended by opposition leaders Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula.