- Officials said the meeting is scheduled to discuss more ways of enhancing the war on corruption.
- But they added their resolutions cannot yield anything without addressing the obstacles to the effectiveness of EACC.
Image: PCS
A Parliamentary committee is scheduled to hold a meeting with the leadership of the anti-graft agency to discuss more ways of enhancing the war on corruption.
This comes days after the State House Anti-Corruption Summit of Heads of the three arms of government.
National Assembly, through its Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC), will from Monday, February 5, 2024, hold a consultative forum with the top leadership of the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commission (EACC) in Naivasha.
The Director of Public Prosecution Mulele Igonga and a High Court Judge have been nominated by the Chief Justice to represent the Judiciary will attend the session.
Officials said the meeting is scheduled to discuss more ways of enhancing the war on corruption.
However, they added that their resolutions cannot yield anything without addressing the obstacles to the effectiveness of EACC.
“That is why we have moved to engage them. Among the issues to be on the table is dropping of the retrogressive Bill by Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Kiringa which seeks to decriminalize procurement graft offences,” an official aware of the meeting said.
The Committee has since rejected Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma's Bill which sought to allow graft convicts to be appointed to public office.
The Committee report will be tabled when Parliament resumes.
The sessions will also seek to have more funds channelled to the agencies involved in the war on graft.
“Our budgets are depleted and we hope the committee will hear us in the quest for more funds.”
This comes days after President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome met to discuss ways of enhancing the fight against graft.
The meeting follows public pronouncements by the two, who said they are ready to meet and resolve the tiff between the judiciary and executive.
The meeting was attended by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, Deputy Chief Justice Philomena Mwilu, Attorney General Justin Muturi and Solicitor General Shadrack Mose.
The meeting focused on building approaches to fight corruption, enhance accountability and facilitate the efficient and seamless delivery of services to the people of Kenya.
“It was agreed that corruption remains an existential threat to the nation which has permeated the three arms of government, undermining our country’s tremendous development potential and sabotaging the much-needed transformation of our nation,” State House said.
“Each of the three arms of Government commits to enhance service delivery, fight corruption and promote the overall administration of justice to enhance accountability to the people of Kenya.”
The executive, legislature and judiciary agreed to individually develop policies, guidelines, regulations and legislative proposals to achieve the objectives of fighting corruption, improving service delivery and enhancing institutional accountability.
It was further agreed that within 30 days, each arm of government would submit the proposals made to a forum of the National Council of the Administration of Justice (NCAJ) convened by Koome.
The forum will provide a roadmap for the immediate, medium-term and long-term measures to be undertaken.
“To optimise the efficient delivery of service and the fight against corruption, the executive, and the legislature, will support the judiciary’s request for additional budgetary support.”
The additional budgetary allocations will be used to facilitate the recruitment of an additional 25 judges of the High Court and the recruitment of 11 new judges of the Court of Appeal.
It was also agreed that the executive will provide resources to conclude the vehicle leasing program to facilitate the judiciary’s transport needs.
“The Executive, Legislature and Judiciary commit to performing their functions in a manner that respects, promotes and enhances the rule of law, institutional independence and respect for court decisions,” the state house added.
This attracted condemnation saying the meeting compromised integrity and independence at large.