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UHURU KENYATTA

NAIROBI. – Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said yesterday his government will partner with global anti-graft watchdog, Transparency International, in the fight against corruption in the country.
Kenyatta, who held a meeting with visiting chairperson of the Board of Transparency International Huguette Labelle in Nairobi, said the partnership between government and TI will deal with “real corruption” and help in ending the wrong perceptions created about the vice.

“Let us fight real corruption but a situation where everybody shouts to stall government projects is an acceptable,” Kenyatta said during the meeting and directed that his government and TI will meet twice a year in an effort to review progress in the fight against graft.

He directed that the Attorney- General, the Inspector-General of Police, Director of Public Prosecution and TI be part of the planning of the partnership.

“What Transparency International believes in is what I believe in; what you want to root out is what I also want to root out,” the president said.

The remarks came barely two months after the president launched a new website where the public can report incidents of corruption directly to him.

The launch of the website is part of efforts by the East African nation to fight corruption which has retarded development in the East African nation.

The presidency said users can upload photos, videos and other relevant documents and can choose from a long list of government departments to complain about.

Those reporting corruption can also make use of the Short Message Service (SMS) to report graft. The SMScode is 33000.

“The president is committed to clean government and this site advances his intention to act strongly against corruption,” he said. To encourage citizens to report corruption, the form allows anonymous uploads.

The remarks come as the anti- graft body whose major task under the current constitution would be to actualise Chapter 6 of the constitution touching on leadership and integrity in public office bearers has stepped up war against the vice.

The enormous reform plan was triggered by the new constitution in an effort to fight bribery for services in public institutions, cronyism in public appointments, which has been considered a key threat to the need to build public confidence in state agencies. – Xinhua.