Five Kenyan ministers vacated their posts yesterday to pave the way for investigations into corruption allegations, President Uhuru Kenyatta's office said, days after he asked those named in a confidential report to do so.

Manoah Esipisu, Kenyatta's spokesman, said Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary Davis Chirchir, Transport and Infrastructure Minister Michael Kamau and Kazungu Kambi, in charge of Labour, had complied with the president's request. Agriculture and Fisheries Cabinet Secretary Felix Koskei had earlier in the day vacated his post, but said he expected to be cleared of any wrongdoing. Kenyatta made the fight against graft a priority on taking office in 2013.