President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga will have to take responsibility for corruption in Government.Justice Minister Martha Karua has put the two principals in a spot,
saying they will have to shoulder the political responsibilities.
Ms Karua said Cabinet ministers must be ready to take responsibilities for their dockets.
"If there are matters of corruption in your docket you must take
political responsibility even as sacking of junior officers is going
on," she said.
She said there should be a distinction between criminal responsibility and political responsibility.
Accountability
"I am not saying that the minister takes criminal responsibility but
political responsibility and the PSs should also account for their
actions," she said.
She noted that in the event a minister does not take political
responsibility in such cases, the President and Prime Minister, will
have to shoulder the load.
Karua was addressing the Kenya We Want' conference at KICC in Nairobi, yesterday.
The three-day conference, which was opened by President Kibaki on
Tuesday and graced by Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former President Moi
and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka ends today.
Karua said it was unfortunate some leaders were always passing the buck
and were not bold enough to take the reform agenda forward.
"Whenever a minister is touched or mentioned in corruption allegations tribe comes up," she said.
She said Kenyans must also take up responsibilities in their own small
way by resisting the temptation to demand money from politicians.
"When we are campaigning and you demand money from us, where do you expect we are going to recoup that money?" she asked.
She was applauded when she said MPs were eager to watch over taxes from
wananchi but when they are challenged to pay they create excuses like
they are footing hospital bills for their constituents.