Help us fight graft and drug lords, Mutua tells West
Machakos County Governor Alfred Mutua, Mars Wrigley Confectionery Middle East and Africa GM Duncan McCulloch, Mars Wrigley Confectionery Global Corporate Affairs VP Allyson Park, Cabinet Secretary for Industry, Trade and Cooperatives Peter Munya and U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter cut a ribbon during the launch of a new plant in Athi River on April 23, 2019. PHOTO | SALATON NJAU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Governor Mutua claims the West has a database with names of Kenyan drug lords and corrupt government officials.
- Mr Mutua wants Washington and EU to stop corrupt government officials from stashing their loots in their countries.
Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua has asked the West to help Kenya fight corruption and drug trafficking.
Speaking during the unveiling of Mars Wrigley Confectioneries plant in Athi River, Dr Mutua on Tuesday urged the US and European Union to make public their databases on Kenyan drug barons, terrorists and corrupt government officials.
The governor asked US Ambassador to Kenya Kyle McCarter, who was in attendance, to request Washington to release what he termed as a “list of shame”.
“I want to challenge the American ambassador and your colleagues from the European Union and even other nations like Japan, to take a stand on the issue of corruption (in Kenya),” said Dr Mutua.
He added: “You have a database of drug dealers and, I believe, terrorists from our region who are on your radar. I also believe there is a database of super corrupt people in this country. My request is, stop these very senior government officials from stealing from us.”
'HIDDEN LOOT'
Besides revealing the corrupt, the Machakos governor implored the West to also bar those implicated from stashing their loot in foreign banks.
And in an indirect reference to top local leaders, the governor wondered why some people think the war against corruption targets them.
“There are some who say they are targeted whenever we talk about corruption. But why do you feel guilty unless you have a history of thievery?” he asked.
Kenyans, he said, should not trust “thieves” to create jobs for the youth and grow the country’s economy.
Mr Mutua spoke during the official opening of Sh7 billion Mars Wrigley Confectioneries plant in Athi-River by Trade Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya and Mr McCarter.
“This (the investment) is a testament of my government's commitment to create an enabling environment for all investors, big or small in Machakos County,” he said.
Mars Wrigley are the makers of Big G and PK chewing gums.
“These are brands that we buy in supermarkets and in traffic and are now being produced right here in Machakos,” Dr Mutua said.
