Uhuru: I have lost friends but we must fight impunity

President Uhuru Kenyatta has declared that the war against corruption and impunity in the country will go on even though it has cost him friends and allies over the recent past.

Speaking during a Sunday service at Faith Evangelistic Ministry church in Karen, Nairobi, Kenyatta said he will not relent in the ongoing crackdown to reclaim illegally acquired public property including land.

Addressing the hot issue of demolition of buildings on riparian land, Kenyatta affirmed that neither money nor political connections will save those in the wrong from facing action.

“Over the last few weeks I have lost so many friends. I have received many calls being asked ‘how can you sit and just watch all this destruction going on. You must stop it.’ But i said, it is difficult to stop, not because we love to destroy but because we must fight impunity,” said Kenyatta.

“If we fail to fight impunity we will not achieve our dreams… A time has come for us to fight impunity, a time has come for every Kenyan to realise no matter how powerful you think you or how much money you have… That will not save you.”

A tough talking Kenyatta said he will not be deterred from fighting corruption, which he said prevents the country from achieving its dreams.

“Let us lose our friends and do what is right in the eyes of God. We shall gain other friends as we move forward. Let us create a society that respects and treasures hard work and integrity, a nation with a conscience,” he said.

“For this country to succeed, we must recognise that for this country to succeed, we must fight corruption because it is one of those forces preventing us from achieving our dreams.”

This week has seen properties worth billions of shillings reduced to rubble in Nairobi as the government moves to reclaim riparian land.

South End Mall, Ukay Mall, a Shell Petrol station and a Java restaurant have been demolished for being on riparian land with the promise of more multi-million shilling buildings will come down soon

On Thursday, August 9, President Kenyatta said the government will not only continue demolishing structures lying on riparian lands, but will also go after public officers who sanctioned the illegal constructions.

“We are not going to just punish those who built. I want to assure you that we are going after all those who issued those permits. Those ones will be prosecuted… Be they county officials, lands officials or NEMA officials, they will be prosecuted because they are equally to fault as those who build,” he said.