Tough vetting awaits Kenyan aspirants for 2017 polls

The anti-graft agency has said it will be ruthless in vetting politicians and civil servants who will vie in next year’s General Election.

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) also signalled it will be keen on vetting the current governors, MPs, MCAs and even civil servants to ensure that when they were in office, they did not pilfer public funds.

In their report to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee listing priorities for the next financial year, the commission said it was keen on monitoring compliance with the Leadership and Integrity Act and enforcement of a code of ethics.

The EACC is seeking a comprehensive and automated system that will assess the wealth declaration forms to determine if every shilling the public officers earned during their tenure in office was legitimate. That will have to happen before they are cleared to run for public office and even for appointment to those offices.

Public officers are required by law to file their wealth declaration returns every two years, declaring their income, assets and liabilities.

That law requires all aspiring politicians to have their integrity vetted by the commission.

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In an election year, where 1,882 seats will be up for grabs, the commission expects 45,000 candidates to show up for vetting – half in the next financial year, and half in the 2017/18 financial year.

 GRAFT WAR

The next General Election is scheduled for August 8, 2017.

There are 47 gubernatorial seats, 47 senatorial seats, 47 seats for county women representatives, 1,450 MCAs and one presidential seat.

The commission wants to go to the counties to teach the leaders at the grassroots about the leadership and integrity code. It wants to buy a system that will help it quickly vet public officers.

EACC also wants to recruit 6.1 million Kenyans to help in the war against corruption.
“The civilian anti-corruption army – nearly five times the size of the civil service— will be trained, educated and enlisted to combat corruption,” the agency said.

“The commission needs to undertake systems reviews in about 100 public institutions to enhance efficiency in their service delivery,” reads a document filed with Parliament that lists the priorities for the commission.
Systems reviews are meant to seal corruption loopholes.

EACC is in need of money to roll out its programmes across the country ahead of polls. The National Treasury has allocated Sh2.8 billion for the commission in the next financial year.