Stop politicising fight against graft, President Ruto warns opposition

The opposition has been warned against politicising and weaponising the criminal justice system in the fight against corruption.

The fight against corruption continues to be a hot potato on the political scene, with opposition members claiming they have been unfairly targeted by the state in the fight against graft.

President William Ruto has reiterated his commitment to lead the fight against graft and deal directly with perpetrators without favouritism.

He vowed to uphold the rule of law and constitutional due process in the fight against the vice.

"If you engage in stealing from the public, be prepared to either run out of Kenya or go to jail," the President warned.

Dr Ruto said relevant institutions should not be condemned for freely exercising their constitutional mandate, especially when they arrest people who have mismanaged public resources.

"We are in favour of completing the implementation of the 2010 Constitution by strengthening the rule of law, improving access to justice and ensuring respect for human rights," said President Ruto.

Speaking in Kakamega during his four-day tour of the Western region, Dr Ruto urged people who had in the past held powerful positions in Kakamega and used their influence to grab public land to hand over such properties for public use.

"I am telling them that there is no land for individuals here. The land belongs to the government and we want to use it to build affordable houses for the low-income earners. This is part of the corruption we are fighting," said Dr Ruto.

The Head of State warned institutions tasked with fighting corruption not to be compromised by any sector, be it the government or the opposition.

 "The judiciary remains a very important player in the fight against graft and we have entrenched its independence by operationalising the Judiciary Fund. Our commitment is to give the judiciary a free hand in the area of law and order," he said, vowing to win the war against corruption.

Echoing the government's commitment to rid the country of graft, Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi said all public servants must remain accountable for public resources and be subject to the oversight of constitutional institutions.

He told leaders from different communities to stop hiding behind their ethnic cocoons after being found guilty of corruption-related crimes.

"Let us give the EACC, the DCI and other institutions mandated to fight graft an easy time to carry out their duties professionally without involving our communities. Anyone who steals from the public does not do so on behalf of his community, he enjoys the loot alone. Let us stop bringing in people who are not aware of our corruption to defend us," said Mudavadi.

Speaking days after EACC officials conducted a twin raid on the homes of former Kakamega governor Wycliffe Oparanya in Nairobi and Butere last Wednesday, Mr Mudavadi said those who misuse public resources should bear their own cross.

The raid drew criticism from the opposition, with Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga calling it a witch hunt.

Mr Odinga demanded that the fight against corruption must be neutral, fair and devoid of politics.

 A section of Western region leaders claimed that Mr Oparanya was 'clean' and had carried out many development projects in Kakamega that did not warrant allegations of graft.

Mr Mudavadi said the government stood to lose on its development plan if it did not tackle the dragon of graft, claiming that corruption was denying Kenyans many benefits and making investors fear that their investments would be stolen.

 "The President needs support to win this war once and for all so that available resources can be protected to support the growth of the economy. It is part of our vision as Kenya Kwanza that the war against graft is not itself corrupted by inappropriate interventions," he added.