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Time to pick new anti-graft chief too short

Updated Monday, September 24th 2012 at 00:00 GMT +3

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga must move with speed and kick start the appointment of the head of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

Speed is of the essence because time is running out first. While it suits the political players not to have a powerful anti-graft watchdog, that is not what most Kenyans want.

Winding down

The clock is winding down on the General Election and the EACC is one of the institutions meant to sift through the morass of candidates to ensure only those who pass the integrity test demanded of the Constitution make it to the ballot.

The bungling of the appointment appears to have played into the hands of a section of the power clique in the Grand Coalition but that is as far as it should go.

The process of hiring a replacement for Mumo Matemu who was kicked out by the High Court should begin today in earnest and must not stop until the position is filled.

However, there are options available to speed it up. It is no secret that Matemu was not the top candidate from the interviews before his name was agreed on by the President Kibaki and PM Raila.

It is therefore possible for the two to agree and spare the country further delay by picking the top candidate who, for reasons best know to themselves, never got their nod.

This would spare Kenyans another circus and a drawn out standoff between the two principals over the matter that would end up in court.

So far the Judiciary is the only institution standing between Kenyans and another failed General Election. A close examination shows that only the Judiciary has been able to interpret and defend Chapter Six of the Constitution on integrity of those seeking public office.

Vested interests

Time and again it has told President Kibaki and the inner coterie inside his political kitchen that regardless of their machinations, the Constitution reigns supreme and it will not relent.

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