Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

top

County News

Civil Society Organisations vow to support anti-graft fight

EACSOF-K Chairman Morris Odhiambo stated that there needs to be increased engagements with government to create polices key to the war on graft/FILE

NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 2 – A cross-section of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have vowed to support the government in the fight against corruption.

According to the East African Civil Society Forum- Kenya Chapter (EACSOF-K), the Civil Society Reference Group (CSRG) and the Collaborative Centre for Gender and Development (CCGD) this is a vice that needs to be rooted out of society as it impacts negatively on development.

EACSOF-K Chairman Morris Odhiambo stated that there needs to be increased engagements with government to create polices key to the war on graft.

“We want to take part in the fight against corruption because this is one of the agendas we have pursued consistently and for us to be able to do that, we must then have the requisite space that is needed for us to be able to organise, for us to be able to implement our activities,” he stated.

“Our key message is that we must then relate the war against corruption to citizen participation through the civil society.”

He was speaking ahead of the International Civil Society Week due to take place from the April 8-12 and whose theme for Kenya will be ‘Enhancing Civic Space to Fight Corruption.”

Odhiambo stated that the initiative will also see non-governmental organisations, community groups and faith-based organisations join in the war on graft.

The Convener of the Civil Society Reference Group (CSRG) Suba Churchill in addition underscored the need for everyone to be involved in rooting out corruption.

“We made commitments to first rid our own sector of corruption which we are doing and also lend our support to other initiatives and processes that fight corruption,” he said.

“We are for example part and parcel of the multisectoral initiative, but more importantly, as a sector, we will be continuing to add our voice and amplifying the voice of citizens in the war against corruption.”

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

The Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) Coordinating Board Executive Director Mutuma Nkanata also stressed the need for various organisations to internalize the war on graft.

“The President has raised the bar. He has taken the fight against corruption a notch higher. It is expected that everybody in government who is working under him support him,” he stated. “Of course, we know corruption fights and fights back but the President has made it very clear that those who engage in corruption must be prosecuted.”

He lauded the war on graft by various investigative bodies including the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

A number of high [profile leaders including Governors have been arrested due to graft and are facing various charges in court.

The latest arrest took place Tuesday morning where Samburu Governor Moses Kasaine was arrested over a Sh84.7 million fraud at the county.

The Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji ordered his prosecution alongside 13 other officials in an ongoing probe into graft claims.

Detectives from the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) were also looking for his deputy Julius Leseeto, county secretary Stephen Letinina, chief finance officer Daniel Lenolkirina, former chief officer in charge of environment Josephine Lenasalia and several other chief officers.

About The Author

Comments
Advertisement

More on Capital News