NAIROBI, Feb. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- The inability of the Kenyan government to decisively tackle emerging corruption is scaring away potential foreign investors, a cabinet minister admitted hereWednesday.

    While regretting the departure of the anti-graft buster John Githongo, President Mwai Kibaki's top anti-corruption advisor, Planning Minister Anyang Nyong'o said criticisms of mega corruption against the government has virtually made it impossibleto attract investors since the east African nation's credibility is on the balance.

    "The result of the loss of credibility by local and international investors is that we will have reduced investments, fewer jobs, and more poverty," Nyong'o told a private sector gathering in Nairobi.

    "The development partners are already reacting, with some cutting funds, whose overall impact will be to make life more difficult for Kenyans." he said.

    Eight countries - including the United States and Canada - circulated a statement saying Githongo's resignation poses what they call "an extremely serious challenge to the credibility of the government's anti-corruption policy."

    The minister's comments come at a time when the east African nation is facing a barrage of criticism from foreign diplomats, lawyers and even Kenyans over its failure to stamp out graft whichled the international donors to cut aid to Kenya three years ago.

    However, Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Kiraitu Murungi stated that the real war against corruption had just began,noting that Kenya will not give up in its efforts to stamp out thevice.

    "Githongo's resignation is regrettable, coming at a time when the fight against corruption is entering the implementation phase.The real war against corruption has just begun. It will be bloody," Murungi told a news conference in Nairobi.

    "We cannot fight corruption by running away from it. We cannot give up the fight however difficult it is. I call upon all the anti-corruption forces to rise up and get tougher," he affirmed.

    Murungi said his government, unlike the previous administration,has set up structures to fight corruption, including the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission, the National Campaign Against Corruption, and the Public Complaints Unit.

    Nyong'o said the only way forward to restore image for the president is to take decisive action to save the government and the country from "ignominy" and to prosecute public officials who have been mentioned in corrupt deals.

    "Githongo's departure is a strong and unmistakable signal to usin government, to either deal decisively with the perpetrators of corruption today, or to accept that we are back to the old order and fighting corruption is more rhetoric," he said.

    "I personally would not want to be in a government where fighting corruption is mere rhetoric or a public relations exercise. It is incumbent upon us now to state names," he noted.

    The east African nation's anti graft efforts got a setback on Monday with the resignation of Githongo.

    Githongo, a former journalist, was appointed to his post in January 2003 in one of Kibaki's first tangible moves to make good on anti-corruption pledges that helped his government to take power in December 2002.

    Failure to stamp out the vice characterized the 24-year rule ofthe previous regime and led international donors to suspend aid for three years.

    Donors only resumed lending in November 2003, after Kibaki put several reforms into place to root out corruption. Enditem