Team drafts radical measures to end corruption

The Multi-Sectoral Initiative Against Corruption (Msiac) has come up with recommendations aimed at eliminating graft in the country.

Among the measures is a push to set up powerful disciplinary committees in all professional bodies, with powers to deregister practicing licenses of members found engaging in graft.

The initiative brings together representatives from the media, private sector, academia, public transport, trade unions, government, religious and development partners.

It will also mobilise for a national universities and colleges anti-corruption awareness week, launch an anonymous corruption reporting portal and start a rigorous campaign on social media against the vice.

CONFERENCE

The initiative's co-chairs - Mr Lee Karuri of Kenya Professional Sector Alliance and Mr Patrick Obath, board chairman of the African Alliance Investment Bank Kenya Limited - said the measures were drawn in the culmination of last week’s national anti-corruption conference that was graced by President Uhuru Kenyatta and other senior public officers at the Bomas of Kenya.

“Every sector has made a commitment to our role to fight corruption. We have outlined key initiatives that each sector will do in the anti-graft war and monitoring mechanisms to see that they are accomplished within the set timelines,” Mr Karuri said on Thursday during a press conference at the Intercontinental Hotel, Nairobi.

Nation Media Group chairman Wilfred Kiboro, a member of Msiac, said the movement had made history by marshalling all State apparatus for the first time to answer to grave concerns by citizens on detrimental effects of corruption and loopholes that aid it.

MEDIA

Dr Kiboro said that the media too has taken a strategic role in the fight against graft by eliminating corruption loopholes in the industry, validating the code of ethics and also tightening the noose on reporting on graft.

“The fourth estate has done well in their mandate of keeping the three arms of government accountable. We should continue putting on spotlight corrupt officers who put their interests first,” he said.

He regretted that the media has time and again been made a punching bag for doing its job.

“Whenever we report, for instance, that MPs sit in canteens enjoying five star cuisines instead of discussing important legislations, they bash us saying it’s a creation of the media. Yet the House is only full during debates about increasing their perks,” Dr Kiboro said.

JUDICIARY

He further called for the strengthening of institutions that fight corruption, more so the Judiciary, which last week was blamed as the weak link in graft fight.

“Chief Justice David Maraga last week defended himself saying they are underfunded, only getting less than half of Assembly budget, yet they have offices across country. Let us support proper funding of the Judiciary; because if it is weak, graft will thrive.”

Also present was Matatu Owners Association chairman Simon Kimutai who said the public transport sector would become a conveyor belt in the war.

Ms Quinter Odongo, a youth representative, said that they have come up with a framework to rope youths into the conversation.