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What do you want me to do? Frustrated president asks on war on graft


President Uhuru Kenyatta cut an image of helplessness at the State House summit on fight against corruption as he kept asking attendants what he should do different.

“As president, if there is one issue that has frustrated me, it is this issue (of corruption). And I will say why. Because the pressure is on me.

“Show me any one administration since independence that has taken action on corruption like I have done. I have removed everybody. I have done my part, at great expense also, political, by asking these guys to step aside,” said a visibly frustrated president.

“Then where do we go from there? They say, ‘I am innocent’. I don’t know where they are innocent or what, move aside.”

SLACKENING INSTITUTIONS

The head of state was speaking off the cuff during the weekly summit on governance and accountability where he blamed independent government institutions for slackening in the fight against graft.

“I give a directive for action on corruption cases within three months and I’m told you don’t have the powers to do that. What do you want me to do?” he posed.

“I can’t appoint or sack a judge. My work is to sign whatever name is sent to me by the Judicial Service Commission.

“The Auditor General keeps saying that money has been stolen from the Eurobond. Why not single out who has stolen the money. Is it Uhuru? Why not prosecute them?”

“Do you expect me to go and set up a firing squad at Uhuru Park so that people can be happy? Are we not a country that respects the rule of law?”

The Head of State also tore into the judiciary asking a Court of Appeal judge why they “keep giving bail to corruption suspects”.

“What has that got to do with me?” he posed.