Anti-corruption speeches laced with leaders’ humour

Interior CS Fred Matiangi and Attorney General Paul Kihara during the conference. [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

Humour and laughter broke the tense moments that characterised the close of the two-day national anti-corruption conference at the Bomas of Kenya.

If it was not Attorney General Paul Kihara Kariuki recounting the analogy of fight against rats to the fight against graft, it was former Prime Minister Raila Odinga cooling his heels on Deputy President William Ruto’s official seat.

Ruto and Raila were at a loss when the participants, including President Uhuru Kenyatta, laughed off the cheeky act of Raila sitting on the DP’s seat.

President Kenyatta, it appears, came to the conference prepared to take on Chief Justice David Maraga. When the latter bemoaned that bloggers were stripping him naked on the cyberspace, Uhuru retorted: Get used to it, man! Raila was also in his best element with story-telling, recounting the warped priorities of African political leaders. He also condemned “benchmarking” and “bonding” sessions MCA’s were taking abroad.

Ruto sat throughout a panel discussion without saying a word. When the session was done, Bishop Oginde who was facilitating, claimed Ruto was lending moral support to his boss, President Kenyatta.

The DP took it in stride, saying his boss had acquitted himself properly.