NAROK, 1 JUNE 2019, (PSCU) —President Uhuru Kenyatta today said he will not relent in the war against the theft of public resources until the country is swept clean of corruption.

He said the resources of the country can be sufficient for all generations only in the absence of theft.

Speaking in Narok when he led Kenyans in marking the 56th Madaraka Day, President Kenyatta said corruption and divisive politics were the biggest threats to the nation’s peace and harmony.

“The war against corruption, is a war we are undertaking with no joy, but one that will continue with no reluctance. I will not stop until the house we inherited from our forefathers has been swept clean. Then, the Plenty within our Borders, can be secured for current and future generations,” said the President.

The Head of State urged Kenyans to reject corruption and stick to the path of truth because that was the only way to sustainably drive Kenya to greater heights.

He said agencies tasked with the mandate to fight graft have been given enough resources and equipped with the capacity to tackle the corruption war, adding that he has total confidence in both the investigation and the prosecution agencies.

The President said divisive politics misuses the diversity of Kenyans and sets them against each other.

“We are not divided because we are Maasai, or Pokomo, or Luhya, or Kamba nor because we are Muslim or Christian; we are divided because these differences have been used, in politics especially, to place imaginary wedges between us,” said the President.

He urged Kenyans to be a united and cohesive society where all citizens strive for excellence.

“There are three things we have to do to become a cohesive society: we have to stop corruption, we have to change our politics and reject all things that divide us,” said the President.

“What makes a nation a nation is not its wealth, but its people’s trust in each other. Corruption is greed: it steals our wealth and our trust alike,” added the President.

He said Kenyans have also been divided by the politics of grievance and resentment.

“We must be bold enough and reclaim the Unity we enjoyed at independence. That is why I initiated the “Building Bridges Initiative” – The Handshake,” said the President.

He said the initiative continues to cultivate harmony and inspire hope among Kenyans, adding that it ushered in an era of calm and co-operation where Kenyans embraced each other more.

The President said as a nation, Kenya is today a leading player on the global stage even though it has much to achieve before all citizens can enjoy prosperity.

He said belief in a better tomorrow and hope in the face of adversity become hard to maintain, especially when Kenyans have evolved a form of public conversation that focuses almost exclusively on that which is negative.

President Kenyatta said Kenyans get angry as they struggle and then see stories in the media about the next General Election days after the previous one or corruption and abuse of office, knowing that the money stolen comes from their taxes.

“We can at times feel like despairing when the good news of our country’s progress comes a distant third to bad news, and never-ending politicking and name calling,” said the President.

The Head of State called on every Kenyan and particularly those in the media and in leadership positions, to “shine a light on what is good even as they identify what is holding us back".

“Take time to cultivate our collective sense of national pride by giving equal prominence to the myriad of positive and uplifting stories that showcase how great a people we are,” the President advised.

He advised Kenyans to always to lift each other’s hope so that the nation can have the collective and individual strength to successfully navigate the process of transformation.