MP questions credibility of EACC

A Member of Parliament has said the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission lacks the moral authority to conduct graft investigations.

Nyando MP Fred Outa, who is a member of the National Assembly’s Agriculture Committee which had been mentioned in EACC report alongside the Public Accounts Committee, said on Sunday that the commission is facing serious credibility questions.

“The EACC has also been mentioned as having problems of corruption, who is going to investigate it?” he posed.

He further faulted the commission saying it should have handed its report to the Director of Public Prosecutions or the Criminal Investigations Department and not to President Kenyatta.

He described the move as a futile, public relations exercise.

Mr Outa said his committee cannot be condemned as a whole, stating that the EACC should go for individuals implicated in corruption.

“Everything has to be dealt with through investigations and not just condemning people. The law requires investigations,” he said.

“We shall continue to do our oversight work as Parliament, if there are some among us whose conduct is in question let the EACC summon them and investigate.

“It is not the duty of the President or the Speaker,” he said.

According to the legislator, the EACC and the President can only prove their seriousness in the fight against corruption if they can start dealing with individuals who were mentioned in the Ndung’u report and the Lang'ata Road Primary School land grabbing saga.

STEP ASIDE

All members of the Public Accounts and Agriculture committees in the National Assembly were mentioned in the EACC 'list of shame' over alleged corruption.

President Kenyatta directed all state officials mentioned in the report to step aside to allow investigations to proceed.

The President said the report, which he had received recently, contained a record of allegations of corruption in all arms and levels of government.