OKORE: Concerted efforts needed to slay the dragon of corruption

President Uhuru Kenyatta’s State of the Nation address was an anti-climax. Most Kenyans expected corrupt people to be named and asked to step aside. Others who had been adversely mentioned in corrupt dealings were reportedly spending sleepless nights over their fate before the address.

The President appeared to be a man under siege. He seemed caught between the rock and a hard place.

He revealed that he was under immense pressure to sack corrupt individuals but did not want to condemn suspects unheard.

He therefore chose to warn the suspects that the law would catch up with them if they would be found culpable.

We need concerted efforts to address the menace of corruption. The Directorate of Public Prosecutions and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, the police, the judiciary, political and the religious leaders as well as Kenyans in general must remain united to wipe out this disease.

The media should continue exposing corruption cases and shaming suspects to frustrate their efforts to corrupt their ways to freedom. The backlog of cases in courts should be dispensed with expeditiously.

There should be no sacred cows and those found to have looted from public coffers must return the stolen cash or property to the government.