Kenya public officers face anti-graft vetting

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In a move said to be aimed at stamping out corruption, Kenya’s government is forcing public procurement and accounting officers to undergo a new vetting process that will involve scrutiny of their personal wealth and service record.

In a statement posted on Twitter on Monday, government spokesman Mwenda Njoka said the officials were also “instructed to step aside with immediate effect.” They include heads of procurements and accounts units in ministries, departments, agencies and state corporations.

President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged to stamp out corruption when he was first elected in 2013 but critics say he has been slow to pursue top officials and ministers.

Outrage has been growing in recent weeks over a number of corruption scandals allegedly involving the ministries of health, energy, agriculture, public service and youth. And in a statement last week, 18 Western diplomats urged strong political leadership and zero tolerance for graft.

In another reminder of the challenge facing Kenya, authorities charged two dozen suspects including both public officers and private business people last week over the theft of nearly 100 million US dollars of public funds.

The statement said the accounting officials would be required to submit “personal information” including assets, liabilities and their record of service to the head of public service by June 8 to facilitate a fresh vetting process.

“The exercise is geared toward determining suitability to continue holding public office in public trust, and promote confidence in the public service,” the statement said.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has restated his pledge to root out corruption. /VCG photo

Last month’s theft took place at the government National Youth Service, a state agency that trains young people and deploys them to projects ranging from construction to traffic control.

Investigators found that funds had been stolen through fictitious invoices for goods such as firewood and stationery and multiple payments on one supplier invoice.

In a statement during national Madaraka Day celebrations last week, Kenyatta restated his pledge to root out corruption.

"The Director of Public Prosecutions, the Police, and other institutions in the multi-agency team against corruption are on the move. They are making decisive steps to build strong cases for the prosecution of corrupt officials."

But some Kenyan anti-corruption activists have rejected the government actions.

"It's a witch-hunting exercise to show something is being done to cool down anger," activist Boniface Mwangi was quoted by AP as saying.

(Top photo: A general view shows the proceedings inside the Mililani Law Courts where Kenyan government officials were charged amid an investigation into the theft of public funds, in Nairobi, on May 29, 2018. /VCG photo)

Source(s): AP ,Reuters