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{
    "id": 644100,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/644100/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 186,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "My fellow Kenyans, while still on the subject of accountability, our nation has for a long time been involved in a protracted war against corruption. Previous administrations attempted to eliminate the vice, but with mixed results that did not meet Kenyans’ justified expectations. Last year, I stood here and renewed our commitment to standing against corruption, an action that led to a robust national debate, renewed scrutiny of public officers and strengthened institutional tools against corruption. I pledged that the days of wanton corruption were numbered and those who chose the way of graft would be brought to book. Today, there are more than 360 corruption cases before the courts, most of them involving senior public officials. I took the unprecedented step of dismissing a third of my Cabinet; a very painful but necessary decision. Those, in years gone-by, who might have used their positions as a shield against prosecution, find themselves today called to account for their actions. Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, Governors, and several chief executives of state corporations have been charged for offences related to corruption. My message is clear: there will be no sacred cows. To complement investigation and prosecution, we are investing in preventive measures, as well as tracking, seizing, and confiscating the proceeds of corruption. Let me briefly explain our strengthened approach. We have put in place a multi-agency institutional framework, bringing together all entities responsible for investigation and prosecution. In this Financial Year, we have set aside an additional Kshs1.6 billion to support this endeavour. The sharing of information between them is now more efficient and operational aspects of investigations and prosecution are now being completed without undue delays. The Chief Justice has created a specialised division of the High Court to handle corruption and economic crimes. The Director of Public Prosecutions has in the last year trained and deployed 90 additional special prosecutors to try corruption cases. The Financial Reporting Centre and the Asset Recovery Agency are now operational. Consequently, we have traced, and are now preparing for seizure, property and assets worth Kshs1.6 billion acquired using proceeds of corruption. We intend to create a Fund into which the recovered funds will be deposited, with a view to use them for specials projects to uplift the vulnerable in our society."
}