President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered officials implicated in
corruption to leave office until investigations into the suspect
transactions are completed.
In his second State of the Nation address since
taking power in April 2013, President Kenyatta declared that all
officials in national and county governments, legislature and the
judiciary that have been adversely mentioned in the Ethics and
Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), must step aside pending
investigations.
“Let me reiterate that it is not my place to
determine the guilt or otherwise of any of the people mentioned in the
said report or any other. However, the time has come to send a strong
signal to the country that my administration will accept nothing less
than the highest standard of integrity from those that hold high
office,” said President Kenyatta.
He noted that the war on corruption will not be
won unless all arms and levels of government play their role and uphold
the highest levels of integrity and act decisively against any
perpetrator of corruption.
The president issued a surprise apology to Kenyans
on behalf of his government and previous governments in regards to
historical injustices such as land grabbing, massacres, victims of
2007/2008 post-election violence, political assassinations and
detentions of those who were agitating for more democratic space, as a
means of moving the country forward.
“I seek your forgiveness and may God give us the
grace to draw on the lessons of this history to unite as a people and,
together, to embrace our future as one people and one nation,” he said.
On the region, the president noted that regional
economic integration is progressing well and while the chair of the East
African Community (EAC) last year, integration deepened and partner
states concluded a range of instruments to enhance close economic,
political and infrastructural development ties.
He observed that the biggest success has been the
initiation and implementation of the Single Customs Territory to
facilitate cross-border trade within the region. As a result, it now
takes three days for goods to transit from Mombasa to Kampala, and four
days to Kigali, down from 18 days and 20 days respectively.
Another key achievement is the elimination of work
permits’ fees; the launching of the single tourist visa; travel by
identity card; one-stop-border posts; establishing the one area network
and thereby reducing cost of cross-border communication in East Africa.
“These measures strengthen the stability, resilience and economic opportunities in our region,” he said.
The president listed a number economic
achievements under his government which include; containing inflation
at single digits, capping the prices of basic goods for Kenyans, falling
interest rates, more access to credit by Kenyan businesses, and that
the exchange rate is stable and the public debt sustainable.
This, he said, reflects his administration’s sound fiscal and monetary management.
Despite the successes, the president noted that
terrorism and transnational crimes continue to be a major threat to
Kenya’s security. He noted that even though the African Union Mission in
Somalia (Amisom) continues to dismantle the capability of Al Shabaab,
the terrorist group still poses a significant threat to Kenya,
especially in light of the long porous border with Somalia.
“We are also faced with a sharp growth of
radicalisation and violent extremism, threats associated with youth that
have returned from Somalia. Other international crimes that threaten us
include poaching, human trafficking, drug and narcotic trafficking, and
cybercrime,” he said.
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