President Uhuru Kenyatta and Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka have fired a warning shot at corrupt governors, saying they risk being impeached.
Speaking in separate events on Saturday, February 3, President Kenyatta and Musyoka told county chiefs involved in corruption to be ready to face the wrath of Members of County Assemblies (MCAs).
In a thinly-veiled attack on the ousted Kiambu Governor Ferdinard Waititu, the President said his government will not condone any governor or county government involved in graft.
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Waititu’s impeachment was partly triggered by allegations that the governor influenced the awarding of county tenders to companies linked to him and his immediate family members through which taxpayers lost millions.
“Whoever has misused money meant to benefit members of the public must pay in a hard way,” the President said.
“The MCAs are watching and they will not hesitate to impeach dishonest and incompetent governors,” he added.
He continued: “Governors who have squandered public money will carry their own crosses. The MCAs should continue cracking the whip.”
President Kenyatta, who speaking at Wang'uru Stadium in Kirinyaga County, where he launched various development projects stressed that all those who have looted taxpayers money will not be spared.
The Head of State lamented that some county chiefs were scapegoating junior officials after being implicated in financial mismanagement reiterating that his government would not protect such rogue governors.
“The war against corruption must be won,” he said.
Sharing President’s statements, Musyoka said it is unfair for the governors to be demanding an increase in the shareable revenue allocation yet the majority of them cannot account for what they have already received.
While commending the President on his resolve to fight corruption, the Wiper leader said no county chief should be spared in the war against graft.
“Uhuru has taken out the sword on corruption and this is a clear indication that the war is inevitable,” Musyoka said.
He added: “If you are in public service and you are touched by this sword, do not cry and blame the President. Let the corrupt carry their own cross as the President has always said.”
The Wiper leader was speaking during the fourth Building Bridges Initiative consultative forum in Kitui County.
Musyoka, a special envoy to South Sudan, asked the Senate to raise the bar on graft war, saying the House must ensure that any governor who appears before its plenary is sent packing as this will be setting good precedence against corruption.
“We must be very clear on this, governors appearing before the Senate plenary for trial on matters of corruption should not be spared. We must help the President on this corruption war,” he held.
His sentiments come just a few days after former Kiambu Governor Ferdinand Waititu was impeached.
The newly sworn-in Kiambu Governor James Nyoro who attended the Kitui BBI meeting declared that corruption had been washed away by the impeachment of his boss.
“I am the firstborn of handshake and BBI. Among the governors nobody can stop reggae,” said Dr. Nyoro.
“They tried but they were defeated,” he said in reference to the Senate vote on Wednesday last week.
Moving forward, Nyoro assured Kiambu residents that they will not regret having him as their county boss.
