NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 28- Are convictions the perfect measure of success against corruption?
It is the big question Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti is seeking to answer in the first issue of the DCI magazine launched on Friday.
The magazine highlights various corruption and criminal cases, the DCI highlights achievements made by his team while giving detectives a forum to openly discuss key issues affecting them with probable solutions to them.
It also profiles sterling career stories of individual detectives like Kilimani Division’s Head of Investigations Fatuma Hadi who comes from a humble background in Isiolo, rising through the ranks to her current post.
“This is a magazine for us all,” Kinoti said at a colorful launch, “it will enhance transparency, accountability and access to of information by the public.”
The Magazine’s Editorial Board Chairman Joseph Ashimala described the initiative as a “great milestone for us and marks the beginning of a new chapter in the manner that we communicate and connect with our various publics.” Ashimala is Kinoti’s deputy.
Other key milestones highlighted in the new magazine, is the formation of the DCI’s Emergency Response Team (ERT), an elite squad unveiled this year, with training locally and abroad on fighting crime and terrorism.
With high profile arrests and prosecutions, Kinoti has not spared anyone in his guns always training them on small and big fish.
“I assure all Kenyans that we shall not relent in the fight against all manner of crimes and more specifically the war against corruption,” the DCI asserted.
Other high profile cases tackled by Kinoti and his team include scandals at the Kenya Power, Kenya Pipeline, Kenya Ports Authority among others, all leading to the arrest and prosecutions of several officials from the top.
“For the last two years, the DCI has instituted far-reaching changes in the manner in which it discharges its operations with the aim of ensuring that it fulfills its mandate,” he said.
-Multi-Agency Approach-
The DCI attributed some of the gains to the multi-agency approach in the war against corruption and other economic crimes.
“Through the joint efforts with other constitutional bodies more specifically the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, we have made significant progress in the fight against corruption and impunity, as well as in general crime management,” the DCI said.
He vowed that not even the cartels will slow down their efforts to enhance security and promote prudent use of public funds.
“Cowardice by any DCI officer is a crime just as it is for every police officer serving in the National Police Service. Our lives belong to God and Kenyans,” he said.
And apart from convictions, other punitive measures the law enforcers like DCI and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission are pursuing is recovering stolen assets.
“Asset recovery and reduction of impunity are the pillars of this fight,” the DCI said. “We are ready to soldier on until the last minute. Our prayer is for Kenyans to win against the cartels.”
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