President Uhuru Kenyatta wants investigative agencies given room to do their work in the war on corruption, which he notes robs the public of resources it is in dire need of.

At the 6th annual Devolution Conference in Kirinyaga County on Tuesday, President Kenyatta also noted that the war targets neither individuals not communities.

He asked governors to help fight the vice by taming it at staff level in the devolved units.

FEAR

President Kenyatta also condemned leaders opposed to anti-corruption efforts, saying they had taken the debate to funeral and wedding ceremonies.

He told them, “Who do you have to fear? If you are arrested you will have a chance to defend yourself. If people do not stop attacking you, get your lawyer and go to court.”

Regarding high wage bills in counties, partly due to huge expenditures on salaries, Mr Kenyatta said he will call a stakeholders’ meeting for discussions on lowering the figures.

He did not specify any counties but said one had 6,000 employees and spent Sh6 billion out of Sh9 billion on its recurrent budget while another spent Sh6 million to oversee the use of Sh800 million.

Due to cases such as these, he said, parts of the country were not being developed, at Kenyans’ expense.

CASH CRUNCH

Deputy President William Ruto, who spoke before the President, urged counties to increase their revenue streams to meet the financial shortfall.

He noted that the government signed deals with several countries, thereby presenting opportunities for the export of horticulture, tea, coffee and other crops.

Earlier, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka hit out at a section of Jubilee Party members, accusing them of politicising the war on corruption.

The opposition politician asked the Deputy President to give detectives time to conclude investigations into allegations that taxpayers lost billions of shillings in tenders for construction of Kimwarer and Arror dams.