Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki has labeled corruption as an existential threat to national security and an impediment to the country’s democracy.
Speaking during the National Council on the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) meeting in Mombasa on Tuesday, Kindiki said corruption undermines the realization of fundamental rights and freedoms guaranteed in the Constitution.
He highlighted that such malpractices significantly impede the efficiency in the delivery of public sector services to the citizenry.
Corruption strikes at the heart of the nation’s soul and diverts critical resources, essential for the realization of the Kenyan dream,” Kindiki said during the forum chaired by Chief Justice Martha Koome.
To win the war against runaway graft, the Interior CS stressed the need for all State organs and government branches to collaborate closely, coordinate efforts, and engage in regular consultation to fulfill their mandates.
Kindiki emphasized that while each arm of government must maintain functional independence, this should not serve as an excuse for impeding service delivery to Kenyans.
He cited past instances of discord among governmental branches, warning that institutional competition and confrontation lead to service delivery paralysis and a collective failure of constitutional obligations.
“All State organs and agencies are joined in the hip and must deliver together or perish separately,” Kindiki said.
Also present were Justin Muturi (Attorney General), Renson Igonga (Director of Public Prosecutions), Japhet Koome (Inspector General of the National Police Service), Twalib Mbarak (CEO, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission), Mohamed Amin (Director of Criminal Investigations), and representatives from the ranks within the Judges and Civil Society Organisations.
NCAJ is a high-level policy-making, implementation, anchoring an oversight coordinating mechanism for the justice sector.
Section 34 of the Judicial Service Act (No. 1 of 2011) establishes the Council as an umbrella body bringing together justice sector actors to ensure an efficient, effective, and consultative approach to the administration of justice.
