Uhuru explains appointment of ex-VP Moody Awori to sports board

NAIROBI, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta has defended the appointment of former Vice-President Moody Awori as a member of the Sports, Art and Social Development Fund Board.

The President said he would stand with the 91-year old Moody Awori due to a dwindling trust in youth whom the president linked to rampant corruption in different sectors of Kenya’s economy.

“I could see yesterday in different platforms people complaining about my choice of a 91-year old Awori to look after the youth’s sports fund; the people complaining should put themselves in my shoes,” he said.

“If you see how young people we have trusted with positions steal public money, its rather I appoint somebody like Awori whom I am sure will protect your money to ensure intended developments and services get back to the people,” he said. “People should stop making noise and let me do my work,” he added.

Speaking in Nairobi at a function of Kenya Commercial Bank’s 2jiajiri programme, he called on the youth to engage in meaningful projects and make money without necessarily engaging in corruption.

Kenyans on Wednesday poked holes into the appointment of former Vice President Moody Awori as a member of the Sports, Art and Social Development Fund board.

In a Gazette notice dated November 28, Finance CS Henry Rotich said that the board will be made up of five Principal Secretaries from the ministries of Education, Arts, Health, National Treasury and Sports.

Awori will work alongside five other members headed by Athletics Kenya boss Jackson Tuwei.

Kenyans have however asked why Awori, who turned 91 on Wednesday, had to be appointed to the board instead of young people.

Since the beginning of his second term as a president, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta has been keen on fighting corruption in his government to enable him successfully implement the Big Four Agenda.

A number of Cabinet Secretaries have been implicated in corruption cases or have failed to tame graft under their dockets. Senior government officials implicated in graft are currently in court proving innocence.