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EACC must step up graft war or be disbanded
Integrity Centre in Nairobi which houses the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission offices.
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is a liability and a let-down to Kenya. It has chosen to selectively act on corruption, more often than not looking the other way or too timid to touch some people, especially the rich and those in power.
It does not require rocket science to know that a lot of public money is stolen or diverted to personal use by revenue officers, including accountants and procurement and finance officers in both county and national governments.
A random check of fuel guzzlers on our roads and high-rise buildings will reveal that a big percentage are owned by public servants who earn less than their peers in the private sector. Aren’t these public servants potential suspects of corruption who should be investigated by EACC?
We have also seen influential Kenyans, including MPs and senior public servants, add helicopters to their portfolios. We know how much they earn, what they were worth before they went to Parliament or other State offices. Their financial success is nothing but magical and needs to be explained. Kenyans need to know if these changes in wealth and flamboyance are also reflected in what these financial magicians are paying to the Kenya Revenue Authority.
EACC must liaise with the Registrar of Companies to know who owns which company, and with the National Transport and Safety Authority to check who owns which vehicles with a view of finding out how they acquired them.
Lastly even if it means going to our roads every day to remove the eyesore that is the traffic department, do it. We cannot be so effective in stopping a school children’s drama performance yet illegalities continues on our roads thanks to corrupt policemen and PSV operators.
If EACC worked as it ought to, we would have less people motivated to steal, but this lame duck doesn’t scare any thief.
Arrest the corrupt, charge them in court and get orders of forfeiture of all illegally gotten wealth. Ask the courts to calculate the interest lost since the theft of these funds was executed, dispose off these assets and channel the funds to development and Kenya will be great someday.
Joe Mungai, Washington State, USA
