Uhuru hints that civil servants may be locked out of private business

President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered the Attorney General Paul Kihara to draft a bill that could lock all civil servants out of private business, to tackle the crisis of conflict of interest blamed for fueling corruption.

President Kenyatta gave the order that would in effect reverse the recommendation of the Duncan Ndegwa Commission which, in 1971, made it possible for civil servants to run private businesses on the side.

Some claim this is when corruption in government really began to take root.

The President was speaking at the Bomas of Kenya in Nairobi on day two of the anti-corruption conference.

In his hard-hitting address, the president gave an example of the conflict of interest for a senior traffic police officer who would be pretending to enforce law and order by arresting traffic offenders, while at the same running a ‘matatu’ or public service transport business.

“State or public officers will have one choice: Serve in the public arena or go and do private business!” said President Kenyatta.

The president affirmed the government’s commitment in the war against corruption saying that no one will be spared in the ongoing purge.

He pledged a zero tolerance approach to corruption saying that anyone who has stolen public funds must be prosecuted.

“No person is beyond the reach of arm of the law no matter how powerful and influential they perceive themselves to be,”

Appearing to be backing up complaints by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) against the Judiciary, President Kenyatta said that numerous injunctions and orders from the courts were frustrating the war on corruption.

“Our courts must stop the practice of using injunctions against investigation of corrupt activities, issuing these orders makes it easier for them to destroy evidence and intimidate witnesses,” said President Kenyatta.

While making reference to Kenyans accused of stashing money stolen from public coffers in foreign accounts, President Kenyatta assured Kenyans that none of it will go unpunished.

“No matter which corner of the globe you hide stolen funds from Kenya, that illicit wealth is no longer beyond the reach of the Kenyan government,” said President Kenyatta. “Step by step we shall win this war.”

The Head of State called on police officers to be firm and precise in discharging their duties adding that the government shall never allow few individuals to trample on the rights of others by perpetuating criminal activities.

While apologizing for the delay in the promised lifestyle audit on senior government officials, President Kenyatta said that efforts are in place to ensure lifestyle audit of state officers, from procurement officers to himself, are fast-tracked.

The president added that the government was already on track to ensure all suspects linked to graft cases or had ongoing cases in court stay out of office until such a time when their names had been cleared.

This comes as the President seeks to leave a worthwhile legacy at the end of his term in 2022.

In October last year, the President proposed additional funding for the Judiciary, the EACC , DCI and the DPP in efforts to expedite corruption cases.