House approves harsh new laws for corrupt State officers

Kenya: Any State officer charged in court or adversely mentioned in Parliamentary reports in connection to corruption will now be suspended from holding any public office for two years.

This is part of the changes made to the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Act, 2014 that was passed yesterday by the MPs.

The MPs also rejected a proposal to send convicts of grand corruption to life in prison.

The National Assembly also rejected another push to have those found guilty of stealing more than Sh1 billion from public coffers sentenced to death.

The Act gives House committees power to implement resolutions of any Parliamentary investigation report.

Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) said the punishment for corrupt State officers and civil servants was crucial to check misuse of public money.

"When the governors say they cannot honour summons from the Senate to explain audit queries, let the Senate conclude the reports and bring them here. We want them to quit, so that we allow others to do a good job," said Mr Chepkonga.

"This House has produced very many reports. Many people with executive authority have been adversely mentioned in these reports and yet they are still in office. The reports are never acted upon and we spend a lot of time doing the same thing," said Mithika Linturi (Igembe South) who moved the amendment.

During the debate, William Mwamkale (Rabai) was gagged when he accused the MPs of misusing committee privileges to settle personal scores. He had pointed out that the committees were incompetent to investigate corruption, and the Act was a precursor for extortion.

"We know what sometimes transpires in committees. One can make sure that you are adversely mentioned so that you can be punished. Committees do not have the capacity to investigate, they don't have personnel..." said Mwamkale before temporary Speaker Moses Cheboi shut him up.

The MPs said the Constitution gives them investigatory powers and implied powers to issue sanctions.

Aden Keynan (Eldas) added: "Parliament is a quasi-judicial institution. You investigate through a committee... the Constitution says Parliament enjoys the powers of the Judiciary and the High Court. If a committee finds someone culpable, what then? Is that a public relations exercise?"

The MPs said allowing individuals charged with corruption to stay in office was likely to okay the vice.