KPMG launches whistle-blowing hot-line for Kenya

NAIROBI: A whistle-blowing service that will enable employees to anonymously report corruption or lack of compliance has been launched. Launched by audit firm KPMG, the service is expected to add some impetus in the fight against fraud among Kenyan organisations.

A survey by another audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) found that economic crimes in Kenyan organisations have been on upward trend. Close to 72 per cent of the organisations have experienced at least one incident of asset misappropriation, according to PWC’s report. The survey adds that 47 per cent experienced one incident of bribery and corruption, while 37 per cent relate to procurement fraud. KPMG said yesterday that there has not been a permissible environment for employees to report incidents of embezzlement, fraud or corruption.

This is even as research showed employees are the best source of information. “You can report corruption or lack of compliance without putting your lives to risk,” said the CEO of KPMG East Africa Josphat Mwaura. The service enables a whistle-blower to report corruption or lack of compliance without fearing reprisal, and can be done on phone, email or web-portal the information that is reported is analysed then sent to the board of the organisation in sanitized form.

The organisation can then do a comprehensive audit to verify the reports as what is reported is not necessarily factual. Associate Director at KPMG, Mark Bunyi, noted that getting the right information is the main obstacle in the fight against fraud, corruption and misconduct. He also said that there is a need for organisations to work on the reports they get.