US ambassador to Kenya: More needs to be done to fight corruption in the country

NAIROBI, Kenya – The U.S. ambassador to Kenya says a lot more needs to be done to end corruption in the country amid reports of wasting public funds.

Robert Godec said Monday that while media reports exposing corruption are good for raising public awareness of the problem, there needs to be actual steps to investigate, prosecute and convict suspects.

Godec said "corruption is a crisis in Kenya."

The chairman of a parliamentary watchdog on public spending, Nicholas Gumbo, has said they are investigating suspicious purchases listed by the Devolution and Planning ministry, including purchase of the ball point pens at $85 each and the listing of sex toys as assets of the ministry.

Transparency International, in its 2014 corruption perception index, ranked Kenya close to the bottom — 145 out of 174 countries.