Kapsaret MP Oscar Sudi has vowed to expose senior officials in government ministries who have been engaging in corrupt dealings.
Sudi, an ally of President William Ruto, said he is finalising “an earthshaking” report that will expose corrupt officials, majorly heads of procurement in parastatals and ministries.
He alleged that the officials have been favouring their own companies under proxies to scoop multimillion government tenders.
“These well-known individuals are discriminating against and mistreating legit businessmen by locking them out of public government tenders despite being qualified,” he said.
“I will be calling out these culprits one by one who have our ministries in a chokehold,” he added, in a message posted on his social media pages.
Corruption is deeply entrenched in Kenya and has been synonymous with politics and public service since independence.
Corruption has become part of how public institutions work and government is full of corrupt individuals.
It’s prevalent at every level and affects access to essential services such as water, education and healthcare.
Kenya has made efforts to address corruption, but there is little political will to enforce these legal measures.
In April, the US Trade Office said American firms are losing out on business and contracts in Kenya because top government officials demand bribes.
According to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, American businesses are finding it hard to secure Kenyan government contracts because senior officials seek a bribe before awarding such jobs.
The 2024 National Trade Estimate Report on Foreign Trade Barriers said that the contracts are going mainly to foreign firms willing to pay the bribes.
This level of corruption, say the authors of the report, will cause Kenya to lose future investment from businesses and countries that shun or punish corrupt activities.
According to a survey by Kenya’s Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the country’s interior, health and transport ministries are the most corrupt. The survey showed that the size of the average bribe doubled in 2023.
Last year, EACC said the lack of transparency and accountability and public participation in some government projects creates a breeding ground for corruption.
