EDITORIAL: Mere threats won’t end grand corruption

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s latest declaration to fight corruption to the bitter end has sparked political uproar. And that is not surprising. Perpetrators of corruption would never take such warnings lying low; they are bound to fight back.

Precisely, that is the thrust of the matter. President Kenyatta must disentangle himself from corruption networks around him if he is ever to win the war. Family ties, political pacts or ethnic support must be shattered. This time round, President Kenyatta vowed to nail down any individual – family member of political ally – suspected of graft. Perfect.

But our concern is that the President is good at issuing threats yet there are no commensurate actions. For the past six years, he has made the same proclamation countless of times. Yet the level of corruption rises by the day. Previously the losses were in millions, now they are in billions. Corruption has been perfected and taken a life of its own. Masterminds of corrupt deals have become bolder, less intimidated and smart manipulators. Public sector has become captive to the networks. No investment or development project runs full cycle without loss of huge sums through dubious machinations.

Therefore, we challenge the President to match his words with action. He has enough intelligence and is fully informed of those behind the vice. At the political level, the first step is to sever relationships and let the suspects face the law. His political allies suspected of corruption must go. Pseudo-politicians who hang around him and use that to cut deals should be thrown out. Cabinet secretaries and other top public servants suspected to have stolen from the public must be shown the door. The President has Executive powers and on that score, does not need anybody’s go-ahead to make decisions.

We acknowledge that some bold steps have been taken in the past one year to rein in the wrongdoers. Several top government officials have been arrested and charged in court for corruption or misappropriation of public funds. Unfortunately, none has been convicted to serve as a deterrent to others. Hardly have the stolen funds been recovered and put back to public use.

Indeed, the public is piqued that despite overwhelming evidence of culpability, several top government officials suspected implicated in graft remain in office. Some have the audacity to rally their communities to insulate them against punishment. Others have the impertinence to challenge the anti-corruption crusade, dismissing it as discriminatory and vindictive.

If the President is truly committed, then he must crack the whip. He should not be blackmailed or intimidated. He must move beyond issuing statements to taking decisive actions. Time for threats is over, heads must now roll.