County Government officials and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (Kepsa) have hailed the proposed Anti-Bribery Bill recently presented to President Uhuru Kenyatta, saying it will greatly help fight corruption.
The Bill was proposed by the private sector and outlines stringent legal measures to check graft between the public and private sectors.
Speaking in Kwale yesterday during a retreat bringing together over 250 County Executive Committee members from the 47 counties, Kepsa head of Public Private Dialogue Agatha Juma said the proposed law will go a long way in dealing with rogue businessmen.
“The proposed jail terms, sanctions and hefty fines will discourage those who may want to engage in bribery and other corrupt activities. Companies found to have engaged in bribery will also be blacklisted by the government,” said Ms Juma.
She said the private sector has in the past relied on self-regulation and called on individual business owners to put in place mechanisms to fight corruption and other vice.
President Uhuru Kenyatta noted that 70 per cent of corruption in the country is in the procurement departments which do business with the private sector.
“Procurement departments involve none other than the private sector, because Government does not do business with itself, it does business with the private sector,” said the President.
The Anti Bribery Bill proposes stiff penalties for individuals found guilty of soliciting or receiving a bribe.
The proposed law also seeks to punish intermediaries of bribery and the recipients.
Tender committees that oversee a corrupt process or stop tenders that have been rightly won will also be sacked and prosecuted as well as any company involved.
The private sector called for the introduction of special tribunals to determine corruption cases and the president has already directed they be constituted.
During the meeting with the president two weeks ago, the private sector said the formalisation of payment systems will allow tracking of transactions that will eliminate illicit trade.
County Executive Committee Council Chairman Anthony Njaramba said the proposed law will seal loopholes that have allowed corruption to thrive.
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