We are watching, anti-graft chief warns counties

By KEVINE OMOLLO

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has warned county governments to come up with strategies to counter misappropriation of funds.

EACC Chairman Mumo Matemo said his commission is putting up structures to ensure that county governments are closely monitored.

“The county governments borrowed structures from the defunct local authorities, which had so many challenges including ghost workers, ghost projects, ghost debts and ghost pay slips,” he said.

He said use of non-cash transfers, having an internal audit system and having public participation are some of the means of reducing corruption cases. The commission has also adopted various products for reporting corruption cases and reducing physical contacts as a mode of tackling the menace.

Mr Matemo, who visited the commission’s office in Kisumu said they had put strategies to establish branches in all 47 counties in the next five years.

The branches will handle corruption cases without necessarily going through the headquarters in Nairobi, a situation, he said, has slowed down implementation processes. He also challenged county governments to urgently create Corruption Prevention Committees to come up with laws on corruption. “The county governments must make the fight against corruption their business or else they fail to deliver their manifestos to the public,” he said.

Matemo said the county government should make all their projects public so as to promote transparency.

In areas where the counties cannot access the commission’s offices easily, the Ministry of Devolution will be used to monitor the expenditure of the county governments to make sure that no cent goes to the wrong hands.

A recent report indicated that the revenue collections in some county governments had fallen with the transition from the local to county governments leading to missing links in revenue collection.

Matemo warned the governors that they are the chief executive officers of the counties and have to be keen to avoid being messed by corrupt individuals.

“The governors will be signing for the moneys they receive from the national government, and for that case they will have to account for every coin at the end of every financial year,” he added.

He said the commission was finalising on the Leadership and Integrity Act, which would streamline the conduct of leaders both in the national arena and the county government.