Lifestyle audit a step in the right direction

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) supports the decision taken by the National Treasury to carry out a lifestyle audit of all public finance management officers as a way of fighting corruption in the public sector.

We have always maintained that corruption has never done this country any good, and it must be uprooted.

In order to give meaning and effect to this audit, we strongly recommend that focus should be on senior public servants as a starting point.

Most of those who are susceptible to corruption are those placed in strategic positions tasked with decision making responsibilities.

Complaints of corruption in the country have not dissipated despite the various efforts by the government and other key players.

The Public Officers Ethics Act (2003) requires all public officers and their families to declare their wealth every two years.

The law has, however, been met with much resistance by some public officers.

Many a times, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has been stopped by courts from pursuing cases premised on unexplained wealth, rendering the wealth declaration system a farce.

This opposition comes from different quarters including legislators, bureaucrats, county government leadership and beneficiaries of corruption in the private sector.

The institute is ready to work with the national government in performing the audits as well as helping it institute and strengthen an integrity system.

Suffice to say that any member of ICPAK implicated in any form of financial malpractices will be dealt with according to the institute’s procedures.

EFFECTIVE APPARATUS
A well-defined asset declaration and lifestyle audit system is a strong tool to fight public sector corruption and abuse of power.

If officers are found to live beyond their means, a functioning wealth declaration and lifestyle audit system can be a starting point for investigations.

This system should generate baseline information against which future disclosures can be compared to identify illegitimate increases in wealth.

These audits will allow for an open and publicly accessible declaration system that will assist in the restoration public confidence as public officials’ with genuine sources of wealth will be protected from suspicion.

As a matter of urgency, those found culpable should be made to pay for their crimes.

Notwithstanding arraigning such officials in court, the government should repossess all illegally acquired property.

All outstanding corruption reports, including the Auditor General’s reports, the Controller of Budget reports and the Public Accounts Committee reports should be implemented fully.

GOING FORWARD
The government should also consider incorporating representation from professional bodies in the framework and institutions responsible for governance and fighting corruption.

We wish to also emphasize that in practice, the move must also be extended to the private sector.

We are convinced that it accounts for more corruption, which is mostly concealed from the public.

If we are to successfully achieve the intended outcomes, we must ensure that everybody account for their source of income.

If well implemented, the exercise can assist in combating graft in public sector.

The writer is the chairman, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya