Author: admin_eacc

System Review to Seal Graft Loopholes

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission(EACC) has launched Corruption Risk Assessments system review for Kitui County Executive and Assembly. The exercise involves looking into the systems, policies, procedures and practices in Kitui County with the aim of identifying loopholes that allow corruption to prevail. The exercise was presided over by EACC Commissioner Dr. Dabar Abdi Maalim, Kitui Governor Hon. Charity K. Ngilu and Speaker of the County Assembly Mr. George Ndoto. Speaking during the launch, Commissioner Dabar urged the County government and the County Assembly to support the Commission in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct. He assured the County Government and the Assembly that the exercise will be conducted professionally and the Commission will share the findings with the two institutions. Commissioner Dabar alluded that corruption loopholes exist in all management systems and if not properly addressed can negatively impact the functioning of an institution leading to misuse and loss of public resources, abuse of office, non-compliance with statutory obligations and poor service delivery. He informed the County and Assembly officials that systems review exercise is a strategy to counter inefficiencies and minimize corrupt practices. Governor Ngilu vowed to support the Commission during the week long exercise and urged her team to comply and cooperate with the EACC team. She thanked the EACC team for taking the initiative to undertake systems review for the County which noted will go a long way in assisting the County to comply with the law and laid down procedures.

Kisumu, Homabay Audits Reveal Flaws in Resource Management

An audit of resource management in Kisumu and Homabay counties has revealed cases of open disregard for procurement regulations and financial management laws, among a host of other flaws. Among its other findings are loopholes that have led to incomplete or inaccurate financial reports; payments for uncertified works; un-surrendered imprests; false claims for allowances; conflicts of interest and insider trading. In Kisumu, for instance, a County Assembly member is cited as having received millions of shillings in per diems without following the laid down procedure. The audits were done by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the findings are contained in the agencys Corruption Risk Assessment (CRA) reports. The audits focused on the counties management systems, policies, practices and procedures. Speaking during the presentation of the CRA report to the Kisumu Governor and the Assembly Speaker, EACC Vice-Chair Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit noted that it would form one of the guiding principles in the countys transition process. In a similar presentation in Homabay, Commissioner Rose Mghoi said corruption prevention was key because “it endeavours to provide an institutional culture that promotes integrity; systems that reduce opportunities for corrupt conduct; and, ensures that those who try to circumvent are easily identified and sanctioned”. That, she added, was what the CRA reports attempt to achieve by providing recommendations targeting the areas that are reviewed. She urged county officials to foster high ethical standards through concerted efforts to re-orient the culture in the government towards people-driven service delivery. She further called upon senior county officials to cascade a positive organisational culture to staff at the lowest levels. “Failure to develop a positive organizational culture is a trigger for the emergence of ‘brokers’, leading to extortion of service seekers, thus tainting the image of the County,” she added. Commissioner Mghoi urged the county government to implement the CRA recommendations and pledged the Commission’s support. The Commission expects that after the presentation of the reports, the County Executive and Assembly will prepare respective plans/ schedules for implementation, which should be submitted to EACC within a period of one month from the date of the presentation. The plans will help the EACC monitor the implementation and address any emerging issues. The audits were conducted in line with the EACCs mandate as stipulated in section 11 (1) (g) and (i) of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission Act, 2011, which states that the Commission shall: Advise, on its own initiative, any person on any matter within its functions; Subject to article 31 of the Constitution, monitor the practices and procedures of public bodies to detect corrupt practices and to secure the revision of methods of work or procedures that may be conducive to corruption practices. The objectives of the audits are to review the systems, policies, procedures and practices of work at the County executive and assembly in order to identify and profile weaknesses, loopholes, avenues and opportunities for corruption, and make recommendations and offer appropriate advice on ways and means of streamlining the systems and sealing the identified loopholes in order to prevent corruption and enhance service delivery to the people.

Charting A Pathway for Public Participation

Chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices took time off their daily chores to seek public participation and chart a pathway to sustainable development During a three-day retreat in Meru County, they exchanged ideas on how to engage the citizenry in reviewing progress in the implementation of the Constitution, and shared experiences in carrying out their respective mandates. The leaders came together at the 7th Annual Forum for Chairpersons of Constitutional Commissions and Independent Offices (CCIOs), which was held at Meru National Polytechnic. The first day of the conference that shifted to Meru Steers Hotel, saw various stakeholder engagements and panel discussions that touched on topics such as the role of CCs and IOs in promoting effective public participation in the devolved units, the role of the Fourth Estate in capacity building for effective engagement with the public in policy matters, and alternative methods of communication for effective public engagement. Other issues related to human rights, during which panellists explored possible ways of integrating and mainstreaming marginalized groups into governance through public participation. The second day was dedicated to field visits, during which participants viewed flagship projects in the county, among them a borehole water project at Machaku Primary and Day School located in a semi-arid area in the northern part of the county, and Kinoru Stadium at Meru town. The third day involved interactions with the citizenry, a forum that was officially opened by President Uhuru Kenyatta. Throughout the conference period that ran from 10th-12th October 2018, all the offices represented exhibited at Meru National Technical Polytechnic where the public visited the stands and learned about the various roles and responsibilities each constitutional office undertakes in its service to the public. The chair was accompanied by Commissioner Rose Mghoi and EACC secretariat from the Headquarters and the Isiolo regional office.

National Integrity Academy to scale up graft war

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has launched a National Integrity Academy (NIAca) through which it hopes to entrench good governance with specialized training on ethics and anti-corruption. Among other things, the Academy aims to reduce corruption and unethical conduct, improve institutional governance for transparency and accountability; enhance efficiency in service delivery in the public and private sector; and create as well as maintain partnerships in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct. Its key objectives are to: i) Promote a culture of integrity in the public and private sector; ii) Equip participants with the right skills, attitudes and knowledge to effectively combat corruption; iii) Build technical capacity of anti-corruption personnel by preparing them for the complex, dynamic and contemporary challenges; iv) Forge partnerships, networks and coalitions with enforcement agencies, training institutions, international bodies and other sectors; v) Promote evidence based anti-corruption training and education interventions; and vi) Promote the adoption of best practices in the fields of governance, leadership, integrity and anti-corruption.   Speaking at the launch, EACCs Chief Executive Officer Halakhe Waqo welcomed the establishment of the Academy as a concrete milestone in the anti-corruption war since its meant to bolster the education mandate of the Commission. He was optimistic that it would create an ethical and value-driven society that upholds integrity and rule of law. The Commissions Chair, retired Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, expressed his commitment to building and nurturing a sustainable culture of integrity and corruption intolerance in the country, and challenged leaders to lead the fight against graft. Leadership is central to an effective war against corruption and unethical conduct, said the Chair.We cannot have an ethical society when leaders and older members of the society are not setting the appropriate ethical tone for the rest of us he added. The launch was presided over by the Principal Secretary, Department of Post Training and Skills Development in the Ministry of Education, Mr. Alfred Cheriyoit. Some of the Academys offerings include: i) Leadership and Integrity Course for Executives; ii) Certified Ethics Officers Course; iii) Integrity Officers Assurance Course; iv) Corruption Prevention in Supply Chain Management Course; v) Corruption Prevention in Public Sector Financial Management Course; and vi) Ethics and Integrity Course for Education Managers.  

EACC Launches The National Ethics And Corruption Survey

EACC Chairman Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala, EBS making his remarks during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey report at KICC, Nairobi.   The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission today launched The National Ethics and Corruption Survey 2017. The launch of the Survey Report was presided over by Muthoni Kimani, Director, Assets Recovery Agency together with the Commissions Chairman Rtd. Archbishop Eliud Wabukala and the Commissions Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Halakhe D. Waqo. The Surveys overall objective was to provide data to inform anti-corruption strategy in the country. The Survey was comprehensive covering all the 47 Counties with 5,977 household respondents and 15 Key informants and was conducted from 18th September to 24th October 2017. The Survey being population based, relied on the fifth National Sample Survey and Evaluation Programme (NASSEP V) developed and maintained by Kenya National Bureau of Statistics in identifying a representative sample. The Highlights of the Survey are as follows: a) Magnitude of Corruption and Unethical Conduct Over 63 percent of the respondents sought government services in the past one year Over 38.9 percent of the service seekers experienced some form of corruption either directly (27%), indirectly (9.8%) or voluntarily offered (2.1%); Those who paid bribes to obtain services in public offices increased markedly to 62.2 percent from 46 percent posted in the 2016 Survey; Wajir County (90%) recorded the highest proportion of service seekers who paid bribes to obtain government services followed by those in Meru (88.5%), Trans Nzoia (83.3%) and Kajiado (81.5%); Application and or collection of a birth certificate is the service most prone to bribery followed by registration, collection or renewal of a national Identification Card (ID), seeking medical attention and seeking of employment; The Chiefs Office led public offices where bribes were paid most followed by Regular Police/Police Stations, Registrar of Persons Offices, County Health Department, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Health and Huduma Centres; The average times a bribe is demanded reduced to 1.57 times nationally from 1.66 in the 2016 Survey; The average times a bribe was paid increased marginally by 0.05 times from 1.27 times recorded in the 2016 Survey to stand at 1.33 times; The average bribe dropped to Kshs. 5,058.75 in 2017 from Kshs. 7.081.05 recorded in the 2016 Survey; Overall, 45.6 percent of the respondents who paid bribes were satisfied with the services provided, 21.8 percent were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied while 35.8 percent were dissatisfied; Over 67 percent of the respondents are aware of ethical conduct in the public service of which 57 percent witnessed a violation of government ethical standards, regulations, procedures, policy, law or a corrupt act by a public officer in the past 12 months but only 7.3 percent reported to relevant authorities; and Potential harassment and reprisal (77.6%) is the main reason majority of unethical and corruption matters are not reported for investigation. L-R EACC Deputy CEO Mr. Michael Mubea, EBS, EACC Commissioner Dr, Dabar A. Maalim, EACC Chairman Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala, EBS Ms. Muthoni Kimani, Director, Assets Recovery Agency, EACC CEO, Mr. Halakhe Waqo CBS, and EACC Vice Chair Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit follow proceedings during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey Report   b) Effectiveness and Support for Anti-Corruption Initiatives At personal level, 61.7 percent of the respondents have done nothing to support the fight against corruption and promotion of sound ethical standards in the country; The perception of government commitment in the fight against corruption has been declining from 53.5 percent in 2015 to 42.8 percent in 2016 to 42.9 percent in 2017; Over 59.4 percent of the respondents affirmatively indicated that government services have improved in the past one year; The provision of key citizen cantered services at Huduma Centres in the country awareness levels stand at 94.1 percent whereby 35.4 percent of the respondents have utilized the services; Religious organizations (60.8%), the Executive (43.3%), the Judiciary (41.9%) and Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (37.4%) were rated as committed in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct; The Police (66.9%), Governors (43.6%), Members of County Assembly (43.5%) and Members of Parliament (41.4%) were rated as uncommitted; and Private Broadcasting Service Stations (72.6%) commands the highest confidence followed by Religious Organizations (70.9%), Public Broadcasting Service Stations (65.6%), the Judiciary (57.3%), the Executive (57.3%) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (54.9%) in the fight against corruption and unethical conduct. Muthoni Kimani, Director Assets Recovery Agency making her remarks during the launch of the National Ethics and Corruption Survey   c) Access to Ethics and Anti-Corruption Services Awareness about Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission has been increasing over time from 41.9 percent in 2015 to 55.8 percent in 2016 to stand at 58 percent in 2017; Over 54 percent of the respondents knew EACC by listening to radio programmes followed by 23.1 percent through television viewing while 4.9 percent through discussions with friends and neighbours; Overall, 45.5 percent of the respondents who are aware of EACC think that EACC is effective in the fight against corruption and promotion of sound ethical behavior in the country as opposed to 54.5 percent who are of opposing opinion; EACC CEO Mr. Halakhe Waqo handing over the National Ethics and Corruption Survey Report during the launch at KICC   d) Perceptions about Corruption and Unethical Conduct Corruption (43.6%) ranked first as the leading problem facing the country having emerged third in the 2016 Survey. Poverty (37%) came second followed by Unemployment (32.2%), Unfavourable economic conditions (22.2%) and political instability (21.8%); Over 70 percent of the respondents indicated that the level of corruption and unethical conduct is high. However, this is an improvement from 79.4 percent recorded in the 2016 Survey; Over 71 percent of the respondents indicated that corruption and unethical conduct are completely widespread in the country which is a substantial improvement compared to 87.4 percent in the 2016 Survey; The Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government (64.7%) ranked first followed by the Ministry of Health (27.8%), Ministry of Lands, Housing and Urban Development (23.9%), Ministry of

4th Workshop On Declaration Of Income, Assets And Liabilities For Responsible Commissions

EACC Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit delivering the keynote address during the 4th DIALs Workshop at the Mombasa Beach Hotel   The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission conducted the 4th Workshop on implementation of the requirements of the Public Officers Ethics Act, 2003 (POEA) on Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities (DIALs). The Workshop was organized for technical officers responsible for the day-to-day management of DIALs in Responsible Commissions in the National Government. Responsible Commissions are the public entities designated or contemplated as such under Section 3 of the Public Officer Ethics Act, 2003 to exercise disciplinary control over the Public Officers designated to them. The Workshop was held on 5th and 6th September 2018 at the Mombasa Beach Hotel. The two-day Workshop was officially opened on 5th September, 2018 by the EACC Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit. During her keynote address, Commissioner Lepuchirit stated that while EACC is vested with the overall mandate to enforce and oversee implementation of codes of conduct, the primary responsibility is vested in Responsible Commissions which are therefore the first point of call in the enforcement of the law on declaration of income, assets and liabilities. She further stated that DIALs enable early detection and prevention of corrupt practices hence enhancing transparency and accountability among public officers. The Commissioner called on all Kenyans to recognize that they are key pillars in the criminal justice process and that they cannot afford to be spectators.

EACC Facilitates A Leadership And Integrity Workshop For The Kenya Ports Authority

EACC Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit (seated 4th left), KPA Chairman, General (Rtd.) Joseph Kibwana (seated 4th right) with EACC staff and other members of KPA Management during the Leadership and Integrity Workshop at the North Coast Beach Hotel   The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission facilitated a Workshop on Chapter Six of the Constitution on Leadership and Integrity for the Kenya Ports Authority (KPA). The Workshop, which targeted the Board of Directors, General Managers, Heads of Departments and Integrity Assurance Officers (IAOs) from the institution took place from 3rd to 7th September 2018 at the North Coast Beach Hotel in Kikambala, Kilifi County. The Workshop was meant to inculcate a culture of good governance, ethics and integrity in KPA. The five-day Workshop was oficially opened on 3rd September, 2018 by the EACC Vice-Chairperson, Commissioner Sophia Lepuchirit. During her keynote address, Commissioner Lepuchirit said that it was incumbent upon the Board of Directors to take cognizance of the immense responsibilities vested in them and make it their business to clean up the port by addressing themselves to both the individuals and systemic issues that allow or encourage corruption in port operations. She added that it was the only way that KPA would effectively play its role in support of the ongoing Government efforts to combat corruption and impunity. The Commissioner made several recommendations to the KPA Board of Directors, including carrying out thorough due diligence and vetting of all new employees to ensure suitability in all aspects and to confirm authenticity of academic papers before hiring them.

EACC Facilitates A Leadership And Integrity Workshop For Members Of Muranga County Assembly

Commissioner Rose Mghoi M. Macharia delivering the keynote address during the Leadership and Integrity Workshop for Members of Muranga County Assembly   The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission conducted a Leadership and Integrity Workshop for Members of Murang’a County Assembly. The two-day Workshop was held at the Kasarani Sports View Hotel in Nairobi and was part of ongoing initiatives aimed at building the capacity of State Officers to comply with Chapter Six of the Constitution. The Workshop was officially opened by EACC Commissioner Rose Mghoi M. Macharia on 13th September 2018. While delivering the keynote address, the Commissioner said that Corruption has emerged as the greatest hindrance to full realization of the benefits that Kenyans expect from devolved Governments. She added that it is unacceptable and disheartening that, more often than not, members of the public have helplessly watched as public resources were looted by a few corrupt public officials. Commissioner Macharia stated that the EACC will spare no effort in creating an environment that is absolutely hostile to the corrupt, adding that the choice to serve in public office will be guided by a desire to strictly operate within the dictates of the law and to provide services to the citizens through prudent management of all resources: financial, human and others, and the desire not to loot. Participants during the Leadership and Integrity Workshop for Members of Muranga County Assembly

Training Swells The Ranks of Anti-graft Teams

Mr. Kairichi Marimba DD Ethics and Leadership making opening remarks at Kenya School of Government Embu during the IAO training. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission(EACC) has trained Integrity Assurance Officers to enable them to spearhead the fight against graft and unethical conduct. Opening a one-week training for the more than 50 officers drawn from various government agencies and departments, Mr. Kairichi Marimba (Deputy Director Ethics and Leadership) challenged them to lead by example in championing integrity in their respective agencies. The commission has been conducting integrity training at various public institutions whose main objective is to restore, transparency and accountability in the public service and to achieve zero tolerance to corruption through good governance. The programme also aims at building competent integrity professionals who can be relied upon to establish structures and strategies of promoting ethics integrity and accountability in conduct business at their various levels in service to the public. Mr. Marimba welcomed the programme as a timely initiative due to the public clamour for good governance and was optimistic that it would equip the officers with the necessary knowledge and skills to spearhead the fight against graft and foster good work ethic. The officers were taken through the legal framework dealing with conduct of a public officer, financial management and human resource management, among other issues. Participants at the IAO training follow through presentations The commission continues to exercise its preventive mandate through training, prevention measures and setting up of standards, as mechanisms of deterring corruption and unethical conduct within public institutions. The training, held at Kenya School of Government in Embu County, is one among the many planned engagements with the public service that seek to have more integrity champions to ensure better service delivery and entrenchment of integrity within the public sector. Mr. Charles Rasugu, EACC central regional head, takes the participants through financial management in public sector. IAO’s take a group photo at Kenya School of Government Embu.

Integrity Club Takes Root At Archbishop Wabukala School

EACC Chairman Retired Archbishop Eliud Wabukala addressing participants at the launch of an Integrity Club at Archbishop Eliud Wabukala ACK Malakisi Secondary School in Bungoma County in western Kenya. “Corruption remains a serious impediment to societal progress in all spheres; whether social, economic or political. It leads to increased poverty, slow rate of economic growth, poor infrastructure, low quality of education and poor health, among other problems.” These are the words of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairman, Retired Archbishop Eliud Wabukala, during the launch of an Integrity Club at Archbishop Wabukala Secondary School in Bungoma County. The school is among the few in the county to establish the Club through the initiative of the Commission. The clubs aim to inculcate values among the youth as a way of enhancing responsible citizenship and promoting intolerance to corruption and unethical conduct. The EACC Chair assured the public of the enhanced efforts and collaborations among public institutions to bring to book corruption perpetrators, noting that  the attainment of the national goals was dependent on sound management of national resources.  He therefore called on all public officers to uphold public interest and commit themselves to selfless service delivery. He pointed out that the war against corruption requires the collective efforts of all sectors, leaders, public officers, and the public, including students. “The youth, as we know, are creative, talented, energetic and agile and can utilize their abilities to drive positive societal change,” he added. The Commission, in exercise of its preventive and public awareness mandate, is steering the establishment of the clubs in schools having recognized the contribution made by young people in the fight against corruption. It is also, in partnership with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD), involved in reviewing the school curriculum to introduce integrity values as a teaching component. While unveiling the plaque to launch the club, the Archbishop (Rtd) assured the students of the Commission’s commitment to support of the club to ensure its growth and sustainability, noting that it will provide a good environment for sharing and learning as well as solving ethical dilemmas facing the students. He encouraged the students to join, support the club and become ambassadors of integrity in the school. EACC Chair unveiling the plaque at ACK Archbishop Eliud Wabukala ACK Malakisi Secondary School Speaking during the launch, EACC Deputy Chief Executive Officer Michael Mubea urged parents to instill good morals and integrity in their children. “As we emphasize on educating our children, let’s also emphasize the need to instill integrity in them,” he said EACC DCEO Michael Mubea speaking during the launch of the Integrity Club at Archbishop Eliud Wabukala ACK Malakisi secondary school, Bungoma County He noted that corruption continued to have a bad impact especially in the developing countries with vulnerable groups such as women, children, the physically impaired, the elderly and the poor being the most affected and lacking in basic social services. He also called on the public to report all forms of corruption, noting that the Commission was in the process of opening a regional office in Bungoma to bring services closer to the people. Also present were Commissioner Dr. Dabar, who emphasized the need to inculcate values in the youth through Integrity Clubs for the betterment of the nation, Bungoma County Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, who urged students to embrace integrity and ethics in their daily activities and more so in their exams. At the same time, the Governor extolled the Commission’s efforts to promote integrity and awareness of the ills of corruption in young learners at an early age, and for choosing his county for the noble course. H.E. Governor Wycliffe Wangamati, Speaking during the launch of an Integrity Club at Archbishop Eliud Wabukala Secondary School Malakisi, Bungoma County.