Less than half of 1,000 procurement and accounting officers now cleared

Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe. He says that only 400 officers have been cleared. [File, Standard]

A majority of senior public officials who underwent vetting have not been cleared, suggesting there may be concerns about unexplained wealth.

Only 400 out of 1,000 procurement and accounting officers have been cleared and allowed to return to work after undergoing the lifestyle audit ordered by President Uhuru Kenyatta in the war against corruption.

“As of today, 400 have been cleared to return to work and resume their duties,” said Government Spokesman Eric Kiraithe on Monday.

He added the fresh vetting for the first group of officers is about to be concluded as some factors saw the timelines extended beyond the anticipated period.

“The next cohort of officers has been identified and will shortly receive the requisite details. Those who will not have been cleared to return to office will be processed in line with existing law, human resource guidelines and within tenets of the Fair Administrative Action Act.”

The announcement came after two months of vetting and lifestyle audit that is understood to have been escalated to all Government officials of higher cadre.

The entire exercise has been spearheaded by the National Intelligence Service (NIS) and a team headed by the Attorney General Paul Kihara.

The affected public officers were instructed to submit their personal information including that of assets and liabilities to the Office of the Head of Public Service Joseph Kinyua a week after stepping aside.

Last week, Kinyua disclosed that nearly a third of the public servants have failed to account for their wealth in the ongoing lifestyle audit exercise.

Kinyua said the exercise was meant to determine the suitability of the affected officers to continue holding public office in the public trust and promote confidence in the public service.

Effort to block the vetting through court was thwarted by the Government through Solicitor General Kennedy Ogeto and Interior Principal Secretary Kibicho Karanja.

Among the documents sought from the civil servants being vetted included full names, KRA PIN, ID card number, passport number, email address, and mobile phone number.

The officers were also required to submit certified copies of mobile money statements, including that for their spouse, for the last six months as well as driving license number, personal Income Tax Returns and those for the companies or businesses they own for the past three years.

Other information being sought includes social media accounts, club memberships, and a list of their liabilities.