News
Board nominates PLO Lumumba to head KACC
The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission Advisory Board chairman Okong'o Omogeni during a press conference on November 26, 2009 where he announced that the Board had nominated PLO Lumumba as the director of the anti graft body. Photo/JAMES NJUGUNA
In Summary
Names will be forwarded to Parliament for debate before they are referred to President Kibaki for appointment.
Dr Lumunba beat a field of 197 applicants.
The Kenya Anti Corruption Commission Advisory Board has nominated renowned lawyer PLO Lumumba to replace Aaron Ringera as Kenya's anti-graft boss.
It has also picked another lawyer Pravin Bowry as assistant director, legal services and Jane Onsongo as preventive services assistant director.
"The Board is convinced that Dr Lumumba can ably lead KACC in its mandate and has the dynamism and interpersonal skills to rally the country behind him and build a wide consensus and partnership necessary to win the war against corruption," said Board chairman Okong'o Omongeni.
He was addressing a news conference at Integrity Centre, Nairobi Thursday to apprise the public on progress made to fill the anti-corruption watchdog top positions.
Mr Omogeni said that a total of 197 applicants responded to adverts placed in the media to fill the vacancies.
He added that the board shortlisted 8 candidates for each of the three positions before conducting a final interview, where they came up with three names.
"Throughout the recruitment process, the Board was guided by law and its committment to be impartial and independent.
"We were alive to the palpable fact that Kenyans expect the process to be fair and free from influence from any quarters," he said.
Mr Omogeni said the Board, in making its choice, was driven by the need to "recruit Kenyans of high integrity and competency who have the experience, courage and determination to fight the war against corruption and restore confidence of the nation on our quest to fight corruption."
The three names will be forwarded to Parliament for debate and approval before they are referred to President Kibaki for appointment.
"It is our conviction that Parliament will endorse the three," said Mr Omogeni.
Dr Lumumba is a former Constitution of Kenya Review Commission secretary and was instrumental in drafting the Bomas Draft that was defeated in a referendum to enact a new constitution in 2005.
He also contested, and lost, the Kamukunji parliamentary seat during the 2007 General election. He had vied on the ticket of a little known party, Chama Cha Umma (CCU).
Dr Lumumba holds a doctorate degree in law from the University of Gent, Belgium and has taught law at the University of Nairobi for 17 years. He has practiced for 23 years as an advocate of the High Court.
Mr Bowry, an expert in both criminal and civil law, is an advocate of the High Court and the International Criminal Tribunal in Rwanda that seats in Arusha, Tanzania.
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Another Obama? PLO go...I don't expect much from you should there be not reforms. You'll need prosecutorial powers! Else you will b a student of Amos Wako...You talk, yes, but we need actions that'll positively transform our mother country.
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Dr. Lumumba is the right candidate for the directorship of KACC. Let the board as well as parliament give him the legal and moral backing if we want him to succeed. Kudos Lumumba.
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If KACC does not have the power to prosecute, then this is just a waste of time. Wako will, as usual, throw out the cases. Good luck guys!
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