Corrupt public officials put on notice Nairobi, 12th June, 2013 - TopicsExpress

Corrupt public officials put on notice Nairobi, 12th June, 2013 PPS The Jubilee Government will not tolerate any form of graft, President Uhuru Kenyatta has said. President Kenyatta particularly put on notice corrupt public officers, saying their days in service are numbered. “I wish to state very clearly today that my Government will not tolerate corrupt public officers,” President Kenyatta said. He reminded all civil servants that the authority assigned to them is a public trust and they should use it to serve the people rather than themselves. The President was speaking today when he officially opened the National Leadership and Integrity Conference at the Kenya School of Monetary Studies in Nairobi. The President, however, pointed out that the war against graft is the responsibility of every Kenyan. “Corruption will not be eradicated by the Government only. It will be wiped out if we individually and collectively change our value system to shun the vice by recognizing that hardwork pays,” the President said. President Kenyatta directed the Kenya Integrity Forum, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the 14 sectors implementing the National Anti-Corruption Plan to step up surveillance and institute quick proceedings and sanctions against officers found to be corrupt. Noting that the legal framework to fight corruption is in place, the President said anti-corruption agencies should have a clear resolve and commitment to individually and collectively create a public service built on high moral values and integrity. “I take this opportunity to assure all agencies mandated to fight corruption of my full support in executing their mandate. I will walk together with you in ensuring that clean governance and integrity becomes our way of life,” the President said. The Head of State, at the same time, said all public officers are expected to abide by the guiding principles of leadership and integrity which include selection on the basis of personal integrity, competence and suitability. President Kenyatta added that selfless service based solely on public interest, accountability to the public for decisions and actions, and discipline and commitment in service to the people are other virtues expected of civil servants. The President disclosed that his Government is committed to cleaning the public service to ensure offices are manned by men and women of integrity, pointing out that corruption and impunity are major hindrances to progress. “This will help us achieve our vision of a corruption-free society as envisaged in the third pillar of the Jubilee Manifesto on openness (Uwazi). So far, we have demonstrated this commitment in the appointment of Cabinet Secretaries and in the nomination of Principal Secretaries,” the President said. He said the war against corruption will be extended to the counties by strengthening governance systems in county governments in order to seal corruption loopholes and resource leakages. Saying wastage of public resources will not be tolerated, President Kenyatta said the resources should be allocated according to policy priorities and all public institutions should ensure efficient spending and value for money. To boost the war against corruption, the President directed anti-corruption agencies to map all key services that are demanded by wananchi on regular basis so as to identify ministries and departments that are high up in the corruption index and where willingness to change is minimal. “Once this is done, appropriate strategies to fight corruption and unethical practices should be developed,” the President said. He cited digitizing delivery of services, reviewing procurement law and procedures, and strengthening internal and external audit as some of the strategies that will bolster the fight against graft. Other measures, the President said, include enhancing surveillance by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and Police Oversight Authority, and putting in place mechanisms for involving the people in fighting corruption. Given the multifaceted nature of corruption, President Kenyatta said all sectors should work together in a concerted manner against the vice. Said the President: “Let us all move beyond the practice of decrying the prevalence of corruption within Government and join hands in doing what each one of us can do to eradicate this vice from our society.” In this regard, President Kenyatta urged the private sector to ensure fair dealings with business partners and public institutions, emphasizing that creating an ethical business culture should not be viewed as a sacrifice. “Indeed, it is good business to be open and honest with your stakeholders, to reward employees who are honest and ethical and to be known as a firm that deals fairly in its business transactions,” President Kenyatta said. Underling the need to scale up the war against graft, the President observed that the goal of transforming Kenya into a newly industrializing, middle-income country providing a high quality life to all its citizens by the year 2030 will not be achieved without eradicating corruption. “If not well addressed, therefore, corruption may hinder the achievement of Vision 2030 and other development goals. Indeed, it is evident that we can only succeed if we have a public service that manages public resources prudently and ethically and which operates efficiently,” the President said. He called on Kenyans to be vigilant on how public resources are used in order to ensure the realization of the country’s development goals as envisaged. Deputy President Wiliam Ruto, on his part, said the Jubilee Government is at the forefront in the fight against corruption and embraced appointments based on merit and measured by service delivery. The Deputy President pointed out that all the Government operations are open to scrutiny by all agencies including the media to ensure Kenyans get the value for money. The Deputy President, therefore, called on the anti-corruption agencies in the country to fight the vice from all fronts without fear or bias. Speaking during the conference, Attorney General Prof. Githu Muigai urged county governments to develop mechanisms that will ensure corruption does not devolve alongside governance and services. The Attorney General said Kenya was among the first countries in the world to ratify international treaties on the fight against corruption an indication that the country remained committed to a graft-free society. Others who spoke during the occasion included the Ethnics and Anti-Corruption Commission acting chairperson Ms Irene Keino and the former chair, Association of professional societies in East Africa (APSEA) Dr. Daniel Ichang’i. In attendance were Cabinet Secretaries, several governors, Members of Parliament, Secretary to Cabinet Mr. Francis Kimemia and Deputy Chief Justice Lady Justice Kalpana Rawal among others. Ends…