Clean your house of graft first, Uhuru tells prosecutors
President Uhuru Kenyatta yesterday warned prosecutors against abetting corruption in the corridors of justice and instead help in the fight against the vice by pointing out corrupt colleagues.
Uhuru asked the officers in the criminal justice system to adhere to the laws and not be part of those who break it.
“Any system is as good as the people who run it,” said Uhuru.
He said integrity in courts, the political system and the civil service is key if the country is to succeed in the war against corruption.
“We can only be good as we are, because without integrity in the office of the prosecutor we cannot uphold a criminal justice system. You can’t deal with corruption, you can’t succeed in this battle, integrity is the key,” he said.
Drug trafficking
The President made the remarks when he graced the 4th regional Conference of Africa Indian Ocean and the East Africa Association of prosecutors held in Mombasa yesterday.
He underscored the strides African governments had made in combating transnational organised crimes.
The President noted that terrorism, ivory and drug trafficking, cyber crimes and money laundering threaten African economies.
He urged countries to invest in combating such crimes.
Uhuru said globalisation and technological advancements have contributed to the escalation of such crimes adding that there is need for proper strategies and interventions to combat the vices.
Complex crimes
The crimes, according to the President, cannot be contained without proper collaborative efforts by all actors in Africa including shared security intelligence.
“As a region we have adopted a bilateral arrangement to facilitate faster, effective and transparent criminal justice systems, and this will ensure our success,” he said.
Uhuru challenged countries to amplify and expand cooperation so that complex crimes can be dealt with before they occur.
“Countries with weak criminal systems have continued to experience challenges in these crimes, thus there is need to improve within our jurisdictions,” he said.
