Slay the enemy within to curb public sector graft
Once touted as the best medium for nationwide development, the 47 counties have excelled at the looting of public funds. Vices that were endemic in the national government have not just been devolved but also entrenched.
Indeed, it is the enemy within who is making the lives of Kenyans more miserable as State and county officials shamelessly enrich themselves. The biggest impediment in the fight against corruption is the government itself, with ministries, State departments, agencies and county governments becoming notorious graft dens.
The latest Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) annual report says that tens of State agencies and counties are under investigation for corrupt dealings running into billions of shillings. Bribery is the most prevalent form of corruption, followed by embezzlement. They deny government programmes and projects funds for effective implementation.
The EACC has a humongous task of fighting graft. But to its credit, assets worth Sh3.4 billion were repossessed from the crooked officials in the last financial year alone.
An investigation into procurement irregularities targets the Kenya National Highways Authority in a tender worth Sh2 billion. In one county, a former governor is being investigated for conflict of interest in irregular payments to 10 companies that gobbled up Sh1.67 billion.
A former National Assembly Speaker is being investigated over the award of contracts worth Sh1.42 billion. There are many other cases countrywide, including inflated tenders and the alleged misappropriation of Sh1.3 billion in a wind power plant project.
The EACC has received 4,183 corruption complaints, with 1,846 investigated. It also managed to block 50 individuals from being appointed to public positions over ethical concerns. Of these, 47 had been shortlisted for national government jobs.
Largely to blame is the lack of or weak enforcement of the constitutional provisions on leadership and integrity.
However, the EACC should, besides reporting, vigorously go after the corrupt officials, get them arraigned and secure convictions and the recovery of the looted public funds as a deterrent.
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