Trans Nzoia residents ask President Ruto to prioritize war on graft

President William Ruto with Kenya Kwanza principals addressing residents of Kitale Town in Trans Nzoia County. [File, Standard] A section of residents of Trans Nzoia County have urged President William Ruto to make the fight against looting his top priority, warning that the vice poses the greatest danger to the country's stability. Speaking in Kitale on Tuesday, the locals insisted that while corruption is a serious challenge, looting by public officials is the most destructive practice, crippling development and draining public resources. "The biggest problem in this country is not just corruption, it is looting. When someone is appointed to hold public office and instead turns it into an opportunity to plunder, that is the real disaster. This must stop. People are taking everything for themselves and leaving the rest of us with nothing but prayers," Ogutu MCodiango. READ ALSO: NCIC Commissioner's family fights alleged land grab by Trans Nzoia County Trans NzioaThey lauded President Ruto's renewed crackdown on graft, including his plan to prosecute lawmakers, even as sections of Parliament demand that National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula and Senate Speaker Amason Kingi summon the Head of State to provide evidence of alleged extortion. They maintained that the President was on the right path. "Let the President lead by example. We don't believe he is being hypocritical. If a drunkard decides to quit alcohol after realizing it is destructive and begins to preach against it, that does not make him a hypocrite; it means he has seen the light. He has realized the direction was wrong and has chosen to act. That is leadership," MCodiango said. They also challenged President Ruto to publicly name and shame corrupt officials in government, saying this would demonstrate his seriousness. They emphasized that exposing looters openly would restore public confidence and mark a decisive turning point in the fight against graft. On his part, Trans Nzoia Governor George Natembeya has said the fight against corruption must begin with the executive, warning that top leaders engaging in business while in office fuels graft. READ: Nurses in Trans Nzoia down tools after talks collapse He argued that a sitting President should not run large-scale farms, transport businesses, or other enterprises that compete with ordinary citizens for government contracts. According to Natembeya, this practice leaves no money circulating in the economy and entrenches corruption at the highest levels. "If the President, Cabinet Secretaries, and Principal Secretaries are in business, they compete with citizens for government opportunities, and that is how corruption thrives. The economy grows when money is in the hands of wananchi," said Natembeya. He added that during the late President Mwai Kibaki's tenure, Kenya did not rely heavily on the World Bank or IMF because public coffers were well managed and education needs were adequately funded. newsdesk@standardmedia.co.ke

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