Ombudsman seeks to punish rogue public officials

The Office of the Ombudsman is seeking new powers to declare government officials it finds guilty of gross misconduct in their duties unfit to hold public office.

Chairperson of the Ombudsman Office Otiende Amollo said they have petitioned the Legal Affairs Committee of the National Assembly to give them more teeth in their fight against maladministration of public institutions by ensuring gross misconduct in public institutions is dealt with robustly.

Mr Amollo said currently, officials found guilty of gross misconduct by the Ombudsman are often transferred to other State agencies or seek elective public offices.

“If we are given these powers, no persons found to have committed gross misconduct in one public office will be allowed to hold another public office. Currently, we have so many officials who should not be holding any public office at all but still do,” he said yesterday while releasing their 2014 annual report in Nairobi.

He added: “When we recommend that a person is unfit to hold a certain public office, that decision should not be limited to that office only but all public offices.”

The Ombudsman office, also known as the Commission on Administrative Justice, is mandated to receive and investigate complaints from the public about State institutions and public officials in order to boost good governance.

The office is also seeking more powers to enforce its recommendations to public institutions to ensure they are implemented rather than leaving their reports to gather dust in shelves.