Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi has urged the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to adopt random and unpredictable wealth audits for public servants, arguing that the current wealth declaration system is too predictable and ineffective in deterring graft.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV’s Daybreak programme on Tuesday, Elachi said the law requires all state and public officers to declare their wealth upon assuming office, but loopholes and weak enforcement have rendered the exercise largely symbolic.
“If you want to be consistent with the wealth declaration, EACC must be innovative; do a random audit on us once in a while,” she said.
While acknowledging that such spot checks might be seen as politically motivated, the legislator maintained that public officials with nothing to hide should have no reason to fear scrutiny.
“Targeting will always be there… if you know in your conscience that everything is right, you don’t need to be agitated at being scrutinised,” she said.
Her comments come as the EACC intensifies its investigations into graft in county governments. Commission chairperson Dr. David Oginde revealed in the same interview that nine governors are currently under investigation as part of wider probes into corruption at the county level.
“Counties are what are keeping us busy right now,” Dr. Oginde said, adding that the commission is also pursuing other county officials implicated in corruption.
Oginde expressed concern that some of the worst-affected counties are those classified as marginalized, which receive additional privileges and funding to boost development.
“I have been surprised that some of the worst-hit counties are those that are considered marginalized. They have been given privileges to try and bring the county up, but the leaders in those counties are syphoning that money and bringing it back to Nairobi to buy apartments and start businesses,” he said.
Elachi’s proposal for random audits adds to the growing calls for innovative anti-graft measures, as Kenya grapples with entrenched corruption in public service.
