Anticorruption body to train governors on funds management

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) will train all the 47 county governors on how to manage the funds they receive from the national treasury and other key partners, an official has said.

The agency’s Vice Chairperson Irene Keino said there is dire need for the county chiefs to be educated on how to effectively manage the funds as devolution takes effect.

Ms Keino revealed that EACC has embarked on a one-year education programme that will ensure no county officer embezzles public funds.

She was speaking Thursday at the Uasin Gishu County headquarters in Eldoret Town after meeting Governor Jackson Mandago.

Ms Keino also noted that the Commission will strongly support Uasin Gishu County government which was ranked top in the 2012/2013 report compiled by the agency and released late 2013 to the public.

The report put Uasin Gishu ahead followed by Nairobi, Narok and Kakamega county governments.

SECURE PUBLIC RESOURCES

“EACC is coming up with this programme because there is great need for public resources to be prudently secured so that they can be channelled to proper and effective use instead of being diverted to pockets of some individuals as it has been in the past,” Keino said.

Ms Keino at the same time noted that the agency will use most of its resources to ensure that all the county governments have preventive measure that will help them curb corruption.

“We are going to put solid structures in place whereby the EACC seeks to use 70 per cent of its funds to ensure that the fight against corruption in the counties is a success,” she added.

Speaking at the same function, Governor Jackson Mandago gave a stern warning to all individuals who perpetuate corruption saying that his government will get rid of them within no time.

CHANGE IN ATTITUDE

Mr Mandago at the same time indicated that the county government had witnessed a drastic change in the attitude of the locals after the release of the report.

The governor added that his government has already sacked some county officers suspected of corruption and investigations are ongoing as they await prosecution.

“After the release of the EACC survey, my government has seen an increase in revenue collection and we hope that in the next survey we shall now be ranked the least corrupt county in the country since the Commission has also pledged to help us,” Governor Mandago said.

ADVISORY PROGRAMME

In January 2014, EACC launched the first phase of the Advisory Programme on Corruption Prevention with the aim of weeding out corruption within county governments.

Addressing journalists during the officially launch of the programme in Eldoret town EACC Chairperson Mumo Matemu said the move marked the commencement of an ambitious national programme by the Commission to fight corruption in the counties.

“This programme is intended to enable counties to map out corruption prone areas, facilitate development of governance instruments, develop corruption prevention strategies, enhance internal controls and identify challenges and emerging issues in county governance,” Matemu said.