Is Kenyatta Finally Getting Serious About Tackling Corruption in Kenya?

Is Kenyatta Finally Getting Serious About Tackling Corruption in Kenya?
Kenyan Finance Minister Henry Rotich, right, and his principal secretary, Kamau Thugge, at a court hearing in Nairobi, Kenya, July 23, 2019 (AP photo by Khalil Senosi).

Henry Rotich, Kenya’s finance minister, was arrested on corruption charges in late July—the highest-profile target yet in President Uhuru Kenyatta’s anti-graft drive. Rotich and other senior Kenyan officials have pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of fraud, abuse of their office and other allegations stemming from the misuse of funds in two planned hydroelectric dam projects.

Kenyatta came into office in 2013 vowing to prioritize tackling Kenya’s endemic corruption, but critics point out that his efforts have yet to yield any high-profile convictions. The case against Rotich is a potential sign of renewed seriousness, but it could also be complicated by tensions between Kenyatta and his deputy, William Ruto, who is an ally of Rotich and is vying to succeed Kenyatta as president in 2022. In an email interview with WPR, Ngala Chome, a doctoral candidate at Durham University in the United Kingdom, explains how the case against Rotich is unfolding against the backdrop of political infighting and Kenyatta’s push to secure his legacy.

World Politics Review: What exactly is Henry Rotich being accused of, and how serious are the charges against him and the other senior officials who are implicated?

Keep reading for free!

Get instant access to the rest of this article by submitting your email address below. You'll also get access to three articles of your choice each month and our free newsletter:

Or, Subscribe now to get full access.

Already a subscriber? Log in here .

What you’ll get with an All-Access subscription to World Politics Review:

A WPR subscription is like no other resource — it’s like having a personal curator and expert analyst of global affairs news. Subscribe now, and you’ll get:

  • Immediate and instant access to the full searchable library of tens of thousands of articles.
  • Daily articles with original analysis, written by leading topic experts, delivered to you every weekday.
  • Regular in-depth articles with deep dives into important issues and countries.
  • The Daily Review email, with our take on the day’s most important news, the latest WPR analysis, what’s on our radar, and more.
  • The Weekly Review email, with quick summaries of the week’s most important coverage, and what’s to come.
  • Completely ad-free reading.

And all of this is available to you when you subscribe today.

More World Politics Review