Integrity Centre in Nairobi is the headquarters of the EACC. Photo/ FILE
NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 26 – The war against corruption in the country is set to be enhanced following the establishment of a multi-sectoral Integrity Plan 2015-2019.
Attorney General Githu Muigai says the plan, which is under the validation stage will provide an all round approach towards entrenching ethics and integrity in the fabric of the Kenyan society.
“The Kenya Integrity Plan is perhaps the single most all-encompassing anti-corruption initiative in this country. It seeks to unite and harness the efforts by all sectors of the country,” he pointed out.
Other than providing bold and radical measures, the plan when adopted, he said, shall act as a yardstick to gauge what each sector has achieved from time to time.
Even with this, Muigai addressing the validation forum on Thursday lamented that, “corruption remains a challenge that continues to hurt and destroy the fabric of the Kenyan society.”
“There is no sector in Kenya that does not experience the negative effects of the vice.”
He challenged the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) together with all other law enforcement departments to fully implement the five-year plan while assuring of the government commitment; sentiments echoed by Chief of Staff Joseph Kinyua.
EACC Chief Executive Officer Halake Waqo in a statement read by his deputy Michael Mubea said if fully implemented, the plan will ensure greater efficiency and effective service delivery in all sectors.
“We must acknowledge that fighting corruption is not the preserve of a few individuals or institutions. For us to win this war, we all must come together to address this menace collectively,” he appealed.
The plan seeks to enhance and mainstream integrity and ethics in all the sectors that comprise stakeholders in governance.
The government has since started a major clean up exercise within the public service which did not spare even members of the executive.
Five Cabinet Secretaries and six Principal Secretaries were among public officers that President Uhuru Kenyatta on March 26 directed to step aside to allow for investigations into corruption allegations levelled against them.
The Cabinet Secretaries include Charity Ngilu of Lands, her Agriculture counterpart Felix Koskei and Transport CS Engineer Michael Kamau.
Also in the list of shame included Davies Chirchir and Kazungu Kambi.
More than a hundred senior government officials were affected by the President directive.
The plan indicates that the country has political goodwill from the government but also points out political interference during investigations as a major hindrance to war against the menace.
During the five-year period, the government hopes to strengthen the integrity and anti-corruption legal and policy framework, promote good governance and accountability and enhance financial management among a list of objectives.
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