The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has called on accountants, lawyers, and other professionals in the country to refrain from using their expertise to facilitate theft of public funds.
EACC Director of Ethics and Leadership, John Lolkoloi said that no public funds scandal in Kenya has occurred without the involvement of professionals, particularly accountants and lawyers.
Lolkolol was speaking during the official launch of the ICPAK Annual Governance and Ethics Conference in Mombasa.
The conference which began on Monday will be closed on Friday.
He challenged the participants to utilise their skills for the public good rather than enabling actions detrimental to society.
He said EACC investigations had revealed an increasing role of engineers, land valuers, surveyors, bankers, IT experts, and procurement professionals in planning and executing corruption schemes, further betraying public trust.
“EACC urges all professional bodies in the country to embed integrity and accountability within their self-regulation mechanisms to foster corruption intolerance among Kenyan professionals,” Lolkoloi said.
He said given the crucial role accountants play in managing public funds and urged them to refrain from processing suspected fraudulent payments and to report suspicious transactions to the authorities.
“Do not become conduits for proceeds of corruption or assist in perpetuating corrupt schemes,” Lolkoloi said.
Addressing the issue of fake academic certificates in the public service, Lolkoloi revealed that EACC has instructed all public institutions to authenticate the academic and professional certificates of those considered for employment.
To date, it is said over 2,000 public officers are alleged to hold fake academic qualifications, with enforcement actions already underway.
In addition to prosecuting individuals involved in academic fraud, EACC said they will continue filing civil suits to recover salaries and benefits earned based on false qualifications.