The fate of Mr Twalib Mbarak’s successor as Chief Executive Officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is now in the hands of the National Assembly. Mr Abdi Ahmed Mohamud was nominated for the position on Friday.
According to EACC Chairman David Oginde, the nomination of Mr Mohamud follows a competitive process where he emerged the best out of the 14 shortlisted candidates — and he will now have to face the National Assembly for vetting. The nominee has been the EACC deputy chief executive officer and a career investigator with over 30 years’ experience.
“The nominee details will now be forwarded to the National Assembly for vetting and consideration in accordance with the law,” said Dr Oginde.
By close of the application deadline on October 7, 2024, the Commission had received 172 applications out of which the 14 candidates were shortlisted.
Mr Mohamud beat other senior EACC staff — Mr Vincent Omari Okongo (Director Prevention Service), Mr David Kiplagat Ruto Too (Director Legal) and Jackson Kaunda Mue (Director Field Services and Coordination) — who had also applied.
Others who made the shortlist included the Deputy Controller of Budget Stephen Masha Ngowa, Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission Deputy CEO Obadiah Kipkoech Keitany, Mr Mohamed Abdul Mmaka, Ms Doreen Nkatha Muthaura, Mr Paul Ndemo Maina, Mr Peter Lokol Lomulen, Mr John Tentemo Ole Moyaki, Juta Wawira Mwangi, Mr Waweru Karanja and Mr Joseph Vincent Onyango.
Some high profile officials who were listed among the 172 applicants included the Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo, former IEBC commissioner Boya Molu, former Media Complaints Commission chairperson William Otieno Oketch and EACC South Rift head Ignatius Wekesa Naulikha. Should Mr Mohamud’s vetting and consideration be successful in the National Assembly, he will be the third CEO of the anti-graft agency since the promulgation of the 2010 Constitution.
The outgoing CEO’s term ends in January. Mr Mbarak had succeeded Mr Halakhe Waqo whose six-year tenure expired on January 10, 2019.Should he be approved, Mr Mohamud will have a full in-tray, top on the list being how to handle the frosty relationship between EACC and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution that is derailing the war against graft in the corridors of justice.
EACC has consistently resisted the withdrawal of graft cases by the DPP. The change of guard also comes at a time of public discontent with corruption in the national and county governments considered a key factor.
In his State of the Nation address, President William Ruto weighed in on this matter calling out the DPP for the withdrawal of cases and the Judiciary for issuing anticipatory bail which ends up shielding graft suspects from the legal process.
Another challenge awaiting Mr Mohamud, should he be cleared by Parliament, is the low level of convictions and backlog of cases.
The country is also keen on how EACC navigates the latest push to handle the prevalence of fake academic certificates in the public service. The agency is currently investigating more than 2, 000 cases of government officers working with fake certificates.
