President Uhuru Kenyatta. Photo: PPS
In October last year, while speaking at one of the many State House summits organised by the presidency, the Head of State Uhuru Kenyatta came out boldly saying that there is nothing more he can do to counter corruption in the country.
"I have no role in persecuting yet I stand accused that the executive is not doing enough, ladies and gentlemen what do you want me to do, niwaulize, mutaaka nifanye nini jameni (what do you want me to do) that I have not done," said Uhuru in the summit.
On Monday, while appearing on an interview in a local TV, the question on his inability to fight corruption was posed again with the interviewer asking the president whether he has been defeated in the fight against vice as he had said before.
She also asked the president to be candid since sources have claimed that some of the corrupt government officials have been favored because they are close friends to the president.
On his part, the president said he has no influence on the independent institutions that have the mandate to investigate prosecute and sentence corrupt officials.
"What do you want me to do, read your constitution before the president was the only one who could decide who will be the Chief Justice, prosecutor hence he had the powers to influence their decisions but our constitution today says the president has no influence in all the independent offices like the DPP and EACC. My relationship with this sections is to ensure the commissions are given enough money and enabling an environment to work but I can't direct them," he said.
He also added that the constitution bars him because it is the duty of the institutions, not his.
"When I say what should I do about corruption it is because if these independent institutions fail to do their work then what shall I do because the new constitution has blocked me, it says the Judiciary, EACC, DPP are all independent bodies," he said.
Has President Uhuru Kenyatta done enough to fight corruption?