The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating at least 231 cases of corruption and irregular procurement crimes involving governors and senior county officials in various counties across the country.
This is according to EACC chief executive officer Twalib Mbarak who said that the investigations touch on irregular procurement processes, major corruption crimes and cases of abuse of office in counties.
Mbarak, who spoke during a meeting with a Senate committee, disclosed that the Commission has so far received and processed some of the cases, most of which touch on counties in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas.
The breakdown of these cases, Mbarak said, included 87 in Samburu, 90 in Marsabit, 22 in Mandera, and 32 in Wajir.
“67 of these cases are at an advanced stage of investigation. Based on the case prioritization strategy, which takes into account factors like significance, monetary value, and public interest, we have prioritized 67 high-impact cases. These cases have either been completed or are in various advanced stages of investigation,” Mbarak told the committee
During the session held with the Senate Justice and Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, senators present also raised concerns regarding the Commission’s transparency and communication.
The committee inquired about the mechanism EACC had put in place to keep the public informed about the status of these investigations.
“Do you have a mechanism for updating the members of the public on the status of inquiries and cases?” Senator Fatuma Dullo asked.
In response, Bishop Oginde acknowledged the challenge pointing out that due to limited staff and the substantial number of cases reported, keeping the public regularly informed posed logistical difficulties.
“Even if we wanted to provide regular updates, it would be practically impossible since we receive about 9,000 reports annually. To issue regular updates given such a large number of reports, we would need a dedicated department for this,” Oginde said.
Unsatisfied with this response, the committee pressed further, urging the Commission to institute a mechanism through which the public could receive regular updates on the progress of these investigations.
Chaired by Senator Wakili Hillary Sigei, the meeting saw the participation of Senators Fatuma Dullo, Veronicah Maina, Catherine Muma, and Okiya Omtatah. Additionally, Senator Mohamed Chute was present as a friend of the Committee.
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