In his annual State of The Nation Address, Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta once again maintained a firm stance in the fight against graft that has bedeviled his administration.
Speaking Thursday afternoon at the Parliament chambers in Kenya’s capital Nairobi, President Uhuru Kenyatta vowed to continue with the war on corruption saying it is a means to ensure the protection of public resources from mismanagement and plunder.
‘’There will be no turning back in the war against corruption as it is a just war, a war to prevent misuse of public resources for selfish interests by those we have entrusted to manage them,” he said.
For many Kenyans, it was highly anticipated that corruption would feature prominently in his case owing to the recent allegations of misappropriated resources in various counties.
And as expected, the head of state highlighted his resolve in ending corruption by sending a stern warning to those found culpable.
“I undertake to act and remove from the government any individual who will have a case to answer before the court. “There will be no sacred cows in the fight against corruption.
He further called upon the offices mandated in investigation working in collaboration with the judiciary to be firm while dealing with corrupt officers.
“It is not enough to merely jail and fine those who have looted our public coffers. The wealth they stole from Kenyans must be returned to its owners, the People of Kenya with the clear message being that Corruption does not pay”.
President Kenyatta remained positive that the Big Four agenda which he intends to leave as his legacy when his final term ends in 2022 will come to fruition.
‘’No turning back on the obligations we have made in the Big Four Agenda, to environmental sustainability, to inter-generational equity and to upholding a strong rules-based international system’’
President Kenyatta also addressed the economy during Thursday’s remarks. He says the economic outlook “remains positive”, underpinned by the implementation of his “transformative development agenda”.
“In 2019, we expect an even stronger growth of 6.3 percent, reflecting continued improvement in the business environment”.
As part of the 2019 National Housing and Population Census later this year, the president urged Kenyans to provide accurate data on the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS), to ensure proper planning at all levels of government.
