President Uhuru Kenyatta, on Monday, warned his coastal tycoon friends of impending arrests over their involvement in corruption at the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA).
"Those of you at the port, we are monitoring and watching you. We know how much money you wanted to spend and how much you have spent and how much you intended to spend.
Uhuru further asked the coastal tycoons who were on the radar of Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), George Kinoti, and Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Noordin Haji, not to call him anymore for help as he had cut off links with the graft suspects, by turning off his phone.
"We know that you are planning to slow down and deflect attention so that goods can enter. But this is a warning that there are some people who are now committed to unearth and root out these schemes. These people will soon come here. They neither joke nor laugh. Very soon you will be reading in newspapers that so and so has been taken down," the president assured.
While cautioning the targeted individuals against calling him for help, Uhuru stated "Ni noma, hizo simu zilizimwa zamani (It's getting hotter now, those phones were switched off a long time ago)," Uhuru distanced himself.
He then vowed that there will be no mercy or preferential treatment for those involved in graft at the port, as he did not have any authority over the DCI and DPP.
“Do not say I have sent anyone when you get caught. You have been caught with your hand in the jar," he divulged.
Earlier this month, The DCI deployed a team of 12 detectives to investigate high-level corruption, including at the Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT).
For two days last week, the DCI boss and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner-General, Githii Mburu, camped at the port to coordinate the investigation, sparking immense fear.
One of the most lingering graft probes at the port involves the alleged inflation of the new oil terminal at KOT. It was allegedly inflated from Ksh26 billion to Ksh40 billion between the time it was conceived to the time it was signed in October 2018.
The president was at the Kipevu Oil Terminal, Port of Mombasa, where he presided over the flagging off ceremony of Kenya's first crude oil shipment, as well as received the 3rd cohort of Seafarer recruits.
The crude oil from Turkana oil fields, which is being mined by Tullow Oil, was exported to Malaysia via the Celsius Riga Oil Products Tanker, berthed at the Port of Mombasa.
Watch the video, courtesy of Daily Nation.
