• Raila, Kalonzo praised the President's address saying he had taken the middle ground despite mounting pressure on him.
• Mudavadi said those under probe should use their conscience and quit before the hammer falls on them.
Image: JACK OWUOR
ANC Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi yesterday differed sharply with his Nasa colleagues Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka over President Uhuru Kenyatta's failure to sack graft suspects.
Musalia, who is marketing himself as the de facto opposition chief, insisted that top government officials on the radar of graft detectives should be relieved of their duties.
However, Raila and Kalonzo said Uhuru's approach of sacking suspects only when they are charged in court was commendable.
“He [Uhuru] said he will not sack people, which is wrong and I differ with him," Mudavadi said after the State of the Nation address yesterday.
He went on, "If you have been a visitor to the DCI, EACC and DPP do you still pass the integrity test? Furthermore, those individual visitors, should you wait to be charged to exit?
Mudavadi urged key State officers questioned by investigators to step aside to avoid what he termed as "shaming the presidency and government".
Raila, however, hailed the State of Nation address, saying the forum is not for firing government officers.
"This is a State of the Nation address, to say what in his [the President's] view the nation is doing. In that regard he did well highlighting key issues that affect the lives of people of Kenya starting with where we coming from where we are and where we want to go,” Raila said.
The ODM chief said despite failing to crack the anti-graft whip in Parliament, Uhuru was very clear that there is no turning back in the war on corruption.
He also commended Uhuru for calling for adherence to the rule of law in the prosecution of graft suspects.
“The frustration of the people of Kenyan is how long it takes to do these investigations and prosecutions. In that regard, I totally agree with the rest of the country that we must move with speed to make sure that those people who are looting this country and denying it development face the law, the sooner the better,” Raila stated.
The former Prime Minister called for investigations against judicial officers and lawyers saying the war on corruption ought to have begun with the bench and the bar.
“Law firms hide the loot in the name of the clients. We need to ensure the members of Judiciary themselves and lawyers are clean so they can turn judgment against other Kenyans. If you start with a corrupt Judiciary you can't expect to get proper justice,” he said.
Kalonzo said he didn't expect the President to sack people and gave a thumbs up to Uhuru's speech.
“To me, he didn't disappoint. The President called for the strengthening of and respect for investigative agencies to be able to do their work. I expect from tomorrow going forward, many arrests to be done and suspects were taken to court,” he said.
The Wiper boss cautioned MPs and other politicians who are mocking the agencies that they might be kicked out by their constituents come election time for frustrating the graft war.