President Uhuru Kenyatta not serious about fighting corruption, says Githongo

John Githongo. (Photo: Jenipher Wachie/Standard)

Anti-corruption crusader John Githongo has dismissed President Uhuru Kenyatta's fight against corruption as a mere public relations exercise. 

Githongo, who skipped the State House summit on corruption last week, accused the President of passing the buck instead of leading the anti-corruption war.

"We don't need to meet at State House to fight corruption. Attorney General Githu Muigai has just come back from China to benchmark on corruption. This is a waste of public resources. We need political will to fight corruption," Githongo told The Standard Wednesday.

He said he skipped the summit because the President is not serious about fighting corruption. Githongo said he didn't attend the meeting also because he was invited through the social media.

"It was all choreographed. I didn't get any invite but some days before, it was all over the social media that myself and Dr David Ndii had been invited. We need to get serious on corruption," Githongo said.

During the summit, Uhuru defended his record in fighting corruption and accused investigative agencies and those involved in prosecuting of failing his government.

"You don't end corruption by berating public officers appointed in front of a public television audience. The public has lost confidence in President Kenyatta because all the scandals we have witnessed have involved his close associates," he said.

"When former President Mwai Kibaki came to power, the public believed in him and that is why corrupt police officers were humiliated by the public. Right now, public confidence on corruption is very low."

He added: "During the late Nelson Mandela's one-term rule in South Africa, we never heard of tenderpreneurs. The problem in Kenya today is public officers or their families doing business with the Government."