Governors accuse EACC of disrespect

NAIROBI: The Council of Governors (CoG) has accused the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission of being disrespectful towards one of their own.

CoG Chairman Peter Munya said the commission's storming of the private quarters of Busia Governor Sospeter Ojamoong's residence last Friday lacked decorum, and subjected his family to unnecessary embarrassment.

Mr Munya took issue with the manner in which the armed officers raided Mr Ojamoong's residence allegedly in search of incriminating evidence over graft investigations.

"Going unannounced to an elected officer's residence with guns was not necessary. It could have struck fear and intimidated his wife and children. As the CoG, we don't oppose anybody being investigated, but due procedure must be followed," Mr Munya, who is also the Meru governor, said on Sunday.

He said the officers must follow the Constitution, and must respect the privacy of all citizens even if they are being investigated for possession of ivory, or anything for that matter.

Mr Ojamoong, responding to the incident, said he read mischief in the EACC detectives' search of his office.

He said the armed officers ransacked his homes in Embakasi and Busia, also searching his offices for more than seven hours.

Ojamoong said his government had been given a clean bill of health by the Auditor General, the Senate and the Public Accounts Committee.

He said he had not been notified of the exercise as required by law or asked to record a statement.

The detectives said they were responding to allegations of corruption from the Busia county officials and had warrants to search his homes and offices.

"The officers should not just burst into someone's home like that. They should have given notice before the search," said Munya.