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| Combined images. From left: Constable Joshua Ombati and matatu conductor Daniel Mwaura. They were praised for promoting honesty when doing their jobs. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP |
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Friday made the war against corruption more practical by identifying and praising Kenyans who have helped abate the vice.
Speaking during the closing ceremony of the National Anti-Corruption Conference at Bomas of Kenya, Mr Kenyatta urged all Kenyans to join the campaign to make the country corruption-free.
“The general public has an important role to play in highlighting instances of corruption in both the public and private sector.
“Kenya has a vibrant social media landscape. I urge Kenyans to use the tools of social media to identify, stigmatise and report all instances of corruption that come to their knowledge,” he said.
He mentioned three success stories of public officers who have carried out their duties with diligence and integrity.
Constable Joshua Ombati
The police officer captured the public’s attention on October 17 last year when he pursued, intercepted and arrested two robbery suspects who had stolen Sh400,000.
He was in Parklands when he heard a man screaming that he had been robbed by people in a speeding vehicle.
Mr Ombati courageously went after the suspected robbers and arrested them near Parklands Police Station.
Interestingly, onlookers tried to incite him to shoot them dead but he countered, saying they have surrendered, therefore they are not a threat.
“The suspects had surrendered so there was no need to use more force. They were no longer a threat,” he said. He returned the money to Voi businessman Amos Charo Saro.
Mr Daniel Mwaura, matatu conductor
In April last year, Mr Mwaura was acclaimed for returning a wallet containing Sh30,000 a passenger had dropped in his matatu.
The owner, Mr Stanley Kaberi, intended to use the money to pay medical bills for his sick child.
“I believe that one should do to others what he expects them to do to him. And even if I had pocketed that money, it could not have ended all my problems. Even if it had been more than Sh30,000, I would still have surrendered it because I believe in earning clean money,” he said.
Kenya ladies golf team
The President recognised this group for their oustanding honesty after they returned a cheque of Sh500,000 of the remaining Sh2.5 million they had been given to cater for their expenses during a tournament in Ghana.
To drive home the message, Mr Kenyatta said: “We have many honest, hardworking and virtuous people in our society. We must hold them up us role models to be emulated by our youth.”
He added that all the recommendations made by citizens on the remedies of rooting out the blight will be incorporated in the anti-corruption strategy.