British High Commissioner to Kenya Nic Hailey has pledged his government’s commitment in supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta in his quest to rid the country of corruption but says the war must be won soon enough.
In his speech read during his fourth Queen’s Birthday Party in Nairobi, Hailey who is set to complete his four year term in December this year said that he will continue to support investigations, assist in tracing stolen money with the sole aim of ensuring the corrupt are brought to book and ‘big thieves’ are sent to jail.
The envoy said his efforts in scaling up anti-corruption efforts are informed by Kenyans’ resolve to see the graft dragon finally slayed.
“Every time I go on Twitter talking about a new project or a new investment, I see that questioning, sometimes cynicism. Won’t the money be stolen? Won’t the land be grabbed? Won’t the politicians stifle the thing at birth as they all try to take their cut?” posed Hailey.
Hailey lauded Kenyans’ resolve and urged them to keep holding leaders entrusted with authority to account.
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Below are some key excerpts from Hailey’s speech
What President Kenyatta is doing on corruption is the single most important thing for the future success of this country. Until the day I leave, I will keep working with my team to support investigations, trace stolen money, and bring the corrupt to book. It is time some big thieves went to jail.
It is a blessing to live in a country where you can question, and debate, and doubt. It keeps us honest.
But that is not my over-riding feeling as I prepare to leave Kenya. Instead what stays with me is the commitment of so many Kenyans to making this a better country.
(What stays with me is the commitment to the religious), business and civil society leaders who worked tirelessly through the protests and menaces of 2016 and 2017 as political competition threatened to tear Kenya apart – and whose hard work was rewarded in the handshake of a year ago.
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(What stays with me is the commitment) to the public servants who strive every day to make their country, their county or their village a better place. People from Kenya’s poorest communities giving up their spare time to inspire kids through sport, to tackle taboos like domestic violence or menstrual stigma.
And the sheer commitment of Kenyans to entrepreneurship, education, strong values – the foundations for this country’s success.
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