DPP Noordin Haji Outlines Plan to Deal With Corruption

Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji has outlined his plan to renew the fight against corruption especially in light of the Sh9 Billion National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.

Answering various questions from Kenyans in the Sunday Nation, Haji listed a raft of measures his office was taking to combat the vice.

"We have cases pending against Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, parastatal chiefs, MPs, governors and senior county officials.  I shall rededicate and reinvigorate the effort against corruption and all economic crimes," he promised.

He highlighted the recent 3 year jail sentence handed to former Nairobi clerk John Gakuo and former Principal Secretary Sammy Kirui as evidence that the system can work when it comes to corruption.

He revealed that on the NYS scandal, his office was working to ensure only cases that merit prosecution made it to court.

Haji further maintained that his office would appeal the ruling on a previous NYS scandal that saw all those accused of stealing public funds acquitted.

"The court may have found the accused not guilty but my office has appealed against the judgement. I will employ a multi-agency approach and only cases which merit prosecution will be taken to court.

"Where there are gaps in a case, I am directing that the gaps be filled before a case is filed. My Office is developing the minimum standards that must be met before a case is filed," he stated.

Haji asserted that the fact that he comes from a political family would not stop him from discharging his duties, explaining that he understood the impact of corruption on communities as he had seen it first hand.

[caption caption="DPP Noordin Haji"][/caption]

"I come from a family with a civil service background and have had opportunity to live in many parts of this country from Nyahururu, Garissa, Mombasa, Malindi, Nakuru to Kakamega, among others. My sojourn in these places has allowed me to interact with and appreciate people from diverse ethnic, religious and economic backgrounds.

"I, therefore, understand the impact of corruption on communities and have the passion to fight corruption knowing that it exacerbates all threats to national security and development," he wrote.

[caption caption="NYS Director-General Richard Ndubai"][/caption]

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