The war on corruption has sent fears and jitters among corrupt cartels with those majorly involved reading political witch-hunt in the ongoing fight.
For the past few weeks, the Kalenjin community has come under fierce criticism after leaders from the community questioned the Governments resolve to arrest corrupt parastatal heads with majority of them coming from the community.
Speaking in Kisumu, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition Chief Raila Odinga were quick to reprimand Ruto’s allies who have claimed the anti-graft purge is targeted at the Kalenjin community.
President Uhuru said graft lords are looting public coffers for their own benefit and then tactically using bribes to protect their stolen wealth. He warned against “ethnicisation of the war against corruption”.
“Those involved in corruption will not be spared. If you steal, you steal alone and not with your community. You should carry your own cross,” Uhuru said after commissioning construction of Ahero Interchange, a road in Kisumu county.
“If you’re engaged in corruption, you will go to court whether you are a Kikuyu, Kamba, Kalenjin or Luo. When you steal you steal alone. Stop ethnicising the war on corruption.” he added.
On his part, Raila Odinga termed graft lords Kenya’s enemies who should not seek protection behind their tribe.
“The war against corruption is not against anyone but Kenya’s enemies…When they are taking jobs they are as thin as a needle but after nearly a year into a job they begin swelling like ticks that have sucked the blood of a cow and when they are being arrested, they begin crying my tribe is being finished,” Raila stated,
Ruto’s allies have been crying foul that the graft war is targeted at Kalenjin technocrats to puncture the DP’s State House bid.
He himself has said the anti-corruption war must remain neutral and fair, seeming to back the claims of an onslaught on the Kalenjin community.
“Those institutions [investigative agencies] must operate independently without instructions from anybody and without serving any ethnic, regional, or any other partisan interests,” Ruto said last week.
Will the Government be able to win the war on Corruption with support from the opposition?