And he has promised that civil servants who let the public down will now be sacked rather than transferred.

The BBC's Cathy Jenkins: Dr Leakey has been accused of selling out

Dr Leakey was appointed as head of the notoriously corrupt and inefficient civil service three days ago.

"There is a fairly gigantic task ahead if we are going to restore confidence in the public service," he told his first news conference since taking up the post. "[But] I believe I have the support to do what needs to be done."

President Moi once called Dr Leakey ''arrogant and racist''

Dr Leakey is a third-generation white Kenyan who has stood in bitter opposition to President Daniel arap Moi as head of the Safina political party.

His appointment comes at a time when international aid is drying up because of the high-level of corruption.

Several newspapers have speculated that the move is designed to appease the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank and top donor countries.

But Dr Leakey said President Moi had been unequivocal in delivering a message of transparency and accountability to civil service chiefs in a private address on Monday.

"I am sure that the government and President Moi are serious when they say they want an end to it [corruption]," he added.

Action not promises

Dr Leakey, a palaeontologist turned wildlife conservationist, told the press he had faith he would be able to do his job without political interference.

''We are not here to puff out our chests and beat them and demand sycophancy and fear - we are here for service."

He would not say whether he would be instigating large-scale redundancies, but he stressed corruption would no longer be tolerated.

"It is not my intention to make a lot of promises...we need to produce results. Public officers who let us down are not going to be transferred to another place to let us down again, but will be removed."

As head of the Kenya Wildlife Service in the 1990s, Dr Leakey was acclaimed for his work in combatting poaching