William Ruto calls for objectivity in anti-corruption war

Deputy President William Ruto on Friday asked institutions mandated to fight corruption to be objective and avoid being used to settle political scores.

At the same time, he told public servants to work without fear.

He spoke the same day outgoing Kenya Pipeline Managing Director Joe Sang was arrested and is set to be charged over a multimillion shilling scandal involving the construction of an oil jetty in Kisumu.

Mr Sang and four other officials of the State corporation were arrested on Friday.

“Civil servants must work without any fear or intimidation or any blackmail from anyone. Their mandate is very clear because someone who has not stolen anything cannot be taken to court or intimidated,” Mr Ruto said at Lelboinet Primary School in Keiyo South, Elgeyo-Marakwet County.

He was addressing a thanksgiving ceremony for area MP Daniel Rono and a fundraising in aid of 12 churches.

FAIR

Mr Ruto said there is need for every constitutional body to objectively discharge its mandate.

“The fight against corruption should not be politicised. Let us not politicise matters to do with independent institutions of prosecutions and investigations. They must operate independently without instructions from anybody, without serving any partisan interests because that is how we are going to succeed,” he said.

He also warned against interference with the Judiciary, Directorate of Criminal Investigations and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

He told judges to rule on cases in accordance with the law and avoid executing their mandate in a manner likely to be perceived to be serving some political interests.

“People should not expect courts to make political decisions because that will undermine the democracy of our country. Our courts must equally be left to make decisions on the basis of law and justice,” he said.