President Uhuru Kenyatta targets graft assets, reassures on promises

President Uhuru Kenyatta will unveil a new list of corrupt kingpins and an inventory of seized assets worth Sh1.6 billion.

The President revealed his new assault on corruption as he blamed the slow pace of graft prosecutions on the Judiciary and the governors, whom he accused of failing to push for accountability in the counties.

“Consequently, we have traced, and are now preparing for seizure, property and assets worth 1.6 billion shillings acquired using proceeds of corruption. We intend to create a fund to which the recovered funds will be deposited with a view to use them for specials projects to uplift the vulnerable,” declared the Head of State as he reminded Kenyans that property worth Sh400 million linked to recent corruption cases in Government had also been seized.

It was part of his third State of the Nation address which underlined what he called a “nationalist covenant” to stay the course of the nation’s Founding Fathers fight against disease, poverty and ignorance.

“Every one of us owes a sacred duty to them and a responsibility to pass on a secure, united and re-imagined nation to future generations,” he said.

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The President’s speech, which was frequently interrupted by whistle-blowing from the Opposition, detailed his administration’s achievements including security, a stable economy, infrastructure, job creation, tourism, devolution, affordable healthcare and in education.

Uhuru said the seized ill-gotten wealth will be channelled to projects to improve the welfare of the poor.

He said a special fund will be created where all corrupt money will be deposited and the Government will use that money for “projects to uplift the vulnerable”.

A year after he fired Cabinet Secretaries and railed against corruption, this time, the Head of State trained his guns on the Judiciary and governors, and asked Kenyans to push for accountability.

Uhuru explained in the concept of a national covenant inspired by the Founding Fathers, the  Government and Opposition share responsibilities.

He revealed that 360 graft cases involving senior officials were in court.

He painted an optimistic future for Kenya after enumerating what he said were his successes three years after taking over.

The Head of State spoke of what he termed as a “nationalist covenant” as he tore into the Opposition and civil society, and reminded them that even as they criticised his Government, they had to remember that they had to offer alternatives.

“I invite the Opposition and the ‘alternative society’ to liberally criticise my government’s agenda. But they must not criticise it as a ‘sport’. They must criticise it as owners of the covenant, and provide alternatives. Criticism without alternatives is reckless political ‘sport’,” said President.

He rallied the nation in the fight against terror, asked the world to shore up support for Kenya’s military in Somalia, and used the occasion to also honour the Mandera bus driver killed as he shielded Christians from Al Shabaab – with the Order of the Grand Warrior.

Minute Of Silence

His Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, diplomats and security bosses were all the while watching from the gallery.

Within the first 10 minutes of his speech, the President had all the MPs who were present in the House stand for a minute of silence in honour of the police officers and soldiers who have died to keep Kenyans safe. The largest death toll in Somalia happened on January 15, 2016, when soldiers were slaughtered in their barracks in El Adde. The military has never released the actual figures.

One MP from the opposition, Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba), who had caught the eye of the President and the two Speakers in the earlier loud protests from the opposition MPs, was singled out and reminded that he should be standing up in honour of people who fight to ensure every Kenyan stays safe.

A headcount by The Standard showed there were 314 MPs inside the debating chamber of the National Assembly during the special sitting that comprised membership from the two Houses of Parliament – meaning that 102 MPs were absent.

Top Opposition chiefs from both Houses, Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma) who is the Senate Minority Leader and Francis Nyenze (Kitui West) who is the Minority Leader in the National Assembly, were absent.

But the absence of MPs, a walkout by some Opposition MPs, the expulsion of others after protests, did not deter the President from informing the world about the achievements his government had made with regard to building roads, modernising the airport, the Indian Ocean Port of Mombasa, health care, and national unity.

Uhuru slammed the governors for slowing down devolution and asked Kenyans to demand accountability.

A day after his government cancelled a Sh56 billion airport project began by his predecessor, and with doubts over the viability of the Lamu Port, the President sought to assure the country that he had not abandoned key projects that formed the foundation of the development roadmap – the Kenya Vision 2030.

“My priority has been three-fold: first, to complete the road works commenced by President Kibaki’s administration; second, to open up major new national trunk routes; and third, to implement the ambitious Roads Annuity Programme that will provide thousands of kilometres of low-volume tarmac roads to Kenya’s rural communities.”

In the 95-minute speech, the President rallied the country towards national unity, spoke about the need for peace, warned against ‘potent rhetoric’, pleaded with the media to be “responsible” and went ahead to inform the MPs that his government was keen to meet all the campaign pledges.

The President also turned his guns on governors and said that even with devolution; Kenyans had to see value for money for their taxes.

“You must ask, is the one trillion sent to the county governments reflected in what you see? Is there clean drinking water and proper sanitation, efficient garbage collection, medicines in hospitals, and agricultural extension workers visiting your farms?” said the President.

The Jubilee MPs chanted ‘No!’ to punctuate every question, but Silverse Osele told the MPs the President had to be “heard in silence”.