Kindiki defends DPP over decision to withdraw some graft cases
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki has supported the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution (ODPP) regarding its choice to withdraw certain cases.
While speaking at the launch of the ODPP Strategic Plan 2023-2027 on Wednesday, December 4, 2024, the Second in Command asserted that no organization or authority should meddle in their decisions related to operational, administrative, or functional autonomy.
Kindiki, who was the keynote speaker at the event, emphasized that no person should disrupt OPPP’s chain of command as the office was established to fulfill its duties without any external interference.
The DP outlined decisional, administrative, budgetary, and operational functions which he insisted should remain untouched.
“Independent institutions and offices are independent in four aspects: decisional independence- the independence to make decisions without any interference from any quotas. The decision you make on who to prosecute, which prosecution to terminate those ones nobody should interfere with that decisional independence.
“Secondly, administrative independence whereby ODPP as an independent institution must run its programme and projects administratively under the chain of command that is established,” Kindiki stated.
“Thirdly, financial and budgetary independence. The moment you receive your resources, and how you spend them nobody should interfere. Finally, operational autonomy, that your operations must be independent of interference from any other quota. Beyond that rest of the grounds call for interdependence cooperation,” he added.
Kindiki’s statement follows President William Ruto’s criticism of the ODPP regarding the withdrawal of certain high-profile corruption cases. During his State of the Nation Address, Ruto expressed that the choice to withdraw specific cases had weakened the battle against corruption.
He contended that agencies responsible for fighting corruption should not conceal behind their autonomy and should begin to align with public expectations in the fight against corruption.
