President Uhuru Kenyatta names Philip Kinusu as new EACC Chair

President Uhuru Kenyatta has nominated the new Chairman and commissioners to the Ethics and Anti- Corruption Commission and sent the names to Parliament for vetting.

Consultant Philip Kinusu will be the Chair of the anti-corruption commission while Dabar Abdi, Paul Mwaniki, Sophia Lepuchirit and Rose Mghoi will be Commissioners if approved.

Public Service Commission had interviewed several candidates for the posts and submitted to the President three names for the Chair position and 12 for the commissioners.

“Out of the list there will be one Chairman and four commissioners as per the law,” said PSC boss Margaret Kobia. The commissioners will operate on part time basis.

“From the list, the president will make his choice depending on many factors. It is his discretion, we did our job,” said Prof Kobia.

Those shortlisted and interviewed for the chairperson include consultant Kinisu, IEBC Risk and Compliance Director Abdirahman Bilacha and Naomy Wangai, a commissioner at the National Gender and Equality Commission.

Lawyer Lucy Kambuni, Public Procurement Administrative Review Board Chairman Paul Mwaniki and former commissioner with the Truth Justice and Reconciliation Commission Margaret Shava were also interviewed.

Those interviewed for commissioner position include Technical University of Kenya lecturer Henry Kemoni, Lapsset board member Fauziya Karama, Dabar of the Transition Authority and director of Research and Investigations at the Ombudsman Micah Nguli.

Robert Shaw, Rebecca Lowoiya, Abdirizak Nunow, Sophia Lepuchirit, William Kurumei, Franklin Esipila, Polycarp Omolo, Sammy Oleku and Rose Mghoi were also interviewed.

EACC has operated without commissioners following the resignation of the then Chairman Mumo Matemu and his team.

Commissioners Jane Onsongo and Irene Keino resigned on March 31 and April 30 respectively, while Matemu left office on May 12.

The three resigned just before facing a tribunal formed by the president to investigate their conduct.

In July, Parliament amended the EACC Act to expand the membership of the commission from three to five including the chairman.

MPs had also passed an amendment to send commission CEO Halakhe Waqo and his deputy Michael Mubea home, but the President rejected the amendment.

Instead, the entire secretariat will be vetted afresh within the six months from August 6, when the President assented to the amendments.