Raila Odinga: Uhuru Kenyatta 'surrender' in graft war is abdication of duties as President

President Uhuru Kenyatta (third right) at the launch of Phase 2A of the Standard Gauge Railway in Em-bulbul, Kajiado County, yesterday. Opposition leader Raila Odinga has accused President Uhuru of abdicating his duties through his admission that he was unable to combat corruption. (PHOTO: PSCU)

Opposition leader Raila Odinga has accused President Uhuru Kenyatta of abdicating his duties through his admission that he was unable to combat corruption.

On Tuesday during the State House summit on corruption, the President said he had done so much on the fight against corruption and that it was time other institutions charged with the task of fighting the vice did their part.
Raila told Kenyans not to expect the Jubilee administration tochampion the fight against graft.

“It is apparent that both Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, are protecting and abetting the vice while shielding their allies implicated in corruption from prosecution.”

He said the President’s admission was a statement to Kenyans that they were now on their own in the war on graft.

“The time has come for us to accept that on corruption, Uhuru, Ruto and the Jubilee government have failed, and failed spectacularly. They were never going to resolve the problem of corruption in Kenya. They are the problem,” he said.

Speaking a day after the President accused State agencies entrusted to combat corruption of failing him in the fight, Raila told Kenyans to drop any hopes they had in Jubilee, promising that he would soon be leading them by giving direction on how to combat the vice.

“It is clear that we cannot wait for help from the President. He is aiding and abetting corruption and his government is the prime suspect. We need to take control of our destiny as we did in all the major reforms that have been achieved in Kenya,” Raila said at a press briefing in his Capitol Hill office in Nairobi.

The Opposition leader claimed that Uhuru and Ruto were rewarding those named in corruption scandals and interfering with the independence of institutions tasked to fight graft.

 

APPARENT SURRENDER

Criticism of the President’s apparent surrender in the war against corruption also came from Amani National Coalition leader Musalia Mudavadi, who said Uhuru’s utterances were not inspiring Kenyans to soldier on, and only emboldened the corrupt.

“His demeanor was that of throwing in the towel. This is not the kind of response expected of a President determined to root out corruption,” said Mr Mudavadi in a statement.

“The posture of helplessness does not inspire the war against corruption. What then is the message to ordinary Kenyans? That they should learn to live with corruption that takes away their livelihoods?”

Central Organisation of Trade Unions Secretary General Francis Atwoli challenged the President to disband some of the state agencies for failing the country in the fight against corruption.

Mr Atwoli claimed that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) was aiding suspects to clean their names instead of ensuring that they faced prosecution for stealing public resources.

“It is evident that some of these agencies have become clear channels through which major corruption is executed, and it is absurd that an institution like EACC - charged with the responsibility of fighting and preventing corruption - has positioned itself as a key ingredient and accomplice in the vice where any accused person would love to rush for clearance and be declared clean,” said Atwoli in a statement.

 FORMER MINISTERS

Raila said Kenyans had watched in disbelief as Uhuru threw his arms up in surrender, adding that the President should blame himself for failing to deal with the crisis.

Raila claimed if the President was sincere in the graft war, he would not be rewarding his former ministers who resigned in clouds of scandals.

He singled out former Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru whom he said had been awarded golden membership in the Jubilee Party, and was also being allowed to vie for the position of governor on the President’s party ticket.

“Let us stop being in denial. Let us stop the spin-machine that is running in State House. Let us accept that the crooks milking Kenya dry are operating from the heart of the Jubilee government, with the offices of the President and his deputy leading from the top when it comes to stealing from Kenyans,” claimed Raila.