Half of graft cases under probe on counties, say anti-corruption agency

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission CEO Halakhe Waqo when he appeared before Senate Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee over the status of investigations on the alleged corruption in counties on December 14, 2016. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Out of 411 cases pending in court, 200 are from counties with investigations on 26 county governments being at various stages of conclusion, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
  • The EACC is conducting 78 investigations on state officers on ethical breaches in 22 counties.
  • EACC vice-chairman Sophia Lepuchirit said some county officials have become overnight millionaires due to corruption.

Half of corruption cases currently under investigation are touching on county governments, the anti-graft agency has said.

Out of 411 cases pending in court, 200 are from counties with investigations on 26 county governments being at various stages of conclusion, according to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

EACC chief executive Halakhe Waqo said 910 suspects are in court, with a high number of cases involving prominent personalities and multi-million cases that include NYS, Anglo-Leasing, Nairobi City County and other devolved governments.

He said the Judiciary has concluded 22 cases with 18 convictions so far achieved compared to previous years when the level of sentences have been very low.

“This is by any standard a very high figure. It is over 90 per cent. This gives us a lot of courage and energy,” Mr Waqo told the Senate Legal Affairs Committee chaired by Busia Senator Amos Wako on Wednesday.

The commission is conducting 78 investigations on state officers on ethical breaches in 22 counties. The investigations relate to conflict of interest, irregularities in employment and use of forged certificates to get employment.

OVERNIGHT MILLIONAIRES

EACC vice-chairman Sophia Lepuchirit said some county officials have become overnight millionaires due to corruption.

Mr Wako and nominated senators Judith Sijeny and Fatuma Dullo sought to know why the commission goes after the suspects with so much energy only for the matter to drag on for years.

Mr Wako expressed concern over delays to conclude the cases, which sends the wrong signal on the war on corruption. He urged the commission to complete the investigations before the next General Election.

The senators expressed disappointment that corruption had devolved to counties and demanded to know if the cases are stalling due to political pressure or whether investigations have been compromised.

 But Mr Waqo dismissed claims that the commission has been compromised to go slow on certain corruption cases, saying the justice system is not a one-man show, but involves partnership with other institutions.

“There is no time we have dropped investigations due to pressure from either the national or county governments,” he said.

He said the office of Director of Public Prosecutions, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the Judiciary are part of the process.