By Wasike Elvis

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has called for increased funding and additional personnel to strengthen the fight against corruption and improve its capacity to investigate cases reported by members of the public.

EACC Director of Legal Services David Too said the commission was receiving views from citizens, organisations and other stakeholders across the country as part of its public participation exercise to inform its budget priorities.

Speaking during a public participation forum in Eldoret, Too said the views collected from different regions would be considered as the commission aligns its budget with the priorities identified by Kenyans.

He explained that public participation in the budget-making process was not only an important avenue for citizens to contribute to government planning but also a constitutional and legal requirement.

According to Too, the exercise is being undertaken countrywide within timelines set by the National Treasury.

“We are receiving views from the various organisations and also citizens at large, and this will go into aligning our budget with the priorities from the comments that have come,” Too said.

He noted that the commission had already conducted similar engagements in several parts of the country, including Nakuru, Nyeri and Mombasa, among other regions where it has offices and operations.

Too said the consultations were important because they enabled the commission to understand the challenges citizens were experiencing and identify areas where EACC needed to increase its interventions.

Stakeholders demand stronger anti-corruption action

The EACC official said one of the major issues emerging from the public participation forums was the need for the commission to strengthen its activities at the points where citizens directly access government services.

He said stakeholders were particularly calling for increased attention to primary service points within county governments and other public institutions.

According to Too, residents want the commission to do more in addressing corruption and ensure that complaints and reports received from the public are acted upon effectively.

“They are asking us to do more in terms of the fight against corruption,” he said.

Too said the concerns raised by citizens were consistent with the commission's strategic focus of addressing corruption at service delivery points.

He added that strengthening interventions at the grassroots level would help the commission respond to corruption concerns affecting ordinary citizens who interact with government departments on a daily basis.

More resources needed to investigate cases

Too said stakeholders were also calling for more resources to be deployed in the fight against corruption, particularly within county and national government institutions.

He explained that EACC was receiving numerous reports and complaints but that limited financial and human resources could affect the commission's ability to investigate all cases as quickly and effectively as expected.

The commission, he said, requires additional personnel to investigate the increasing number of cases being reported by members of the public.

“The residents feel that the uptake of the cases that are reported may be low because of the resources that are not available,” Too said.

He argued that increasing the commission's capacity would allow investigators to handle more cases and expand its operations to areas where corruption concerns continue to be raised.

EACC budget rises to nearly KSh5 billion

Too disclosed that the commission's budget had increased from KSh4.3 billion in the previous financial year to approximately KSh4.9 billion in the current financial year.

He thanked the National Assembly for increasing the allocation, saying the additional funding would help the commission meet some of its operational requirements.

The increase, he explained, had also been necessitated by the growing number of staff employed by the commission.

Too revealed that EACC had recruited approximately 100 new members of staff during the year.

He said a significant portion of the commission's budget goes towards the compensation and facilitation of its officers because EACC is primarily a service institution whose mandate requires skilled personnel.

He nevertheless maintained that the current allocation was still not enough to fully meet the commission's needs.

“Resources will not always be enough,” Too said, adding that the commission would continue seeking additional funding to expand its operations.

He also acknowledged the support of development partners, particularly in building the capacity of EACC officers.

Monitoring of major government projects

The commission's North Rift Regional Manager, Major (Rtd) Kuntai Ole Tingisha, said additional resources would enable EACC to increase its monitoring of capital-intensive government projects.

Tingisha said the commission was currently focusing on major projects being implemented by both county and national governments as part of efforts to prevent the loss or misuse of public funds.

He explained that monitoring projects during implementation was important because it could help identify irregularities and ensure that public resources were used for their intended purposes.

“With more resources we shall be able to monitor more projects that are being undertaken, both in the county governments and national governments,” Tingisha said.

He added that increased capacity would enable the commission to cover more projects across the country.

Asset recovery remains a priority

Tingisha also identified asset recovery as one of the key areas the commission is prioritising in the fight against corruption.

He said recovering assets and proceeds suspected to have been acquired through corruption was critical in discouraging individuals from benefiting from corrupt activities.

According to him, the recovery of illicitly acquired wealth sends a strong message that individuals involved in corruption should not expect to retain the proceeds of their actions.

He said EACC would continue strengthening its asset recovery efforts alongside investigations and other anti-corruption measures.

EACC seeks stronger partnerships

Tingisha said the fight against corruption could not be won by EACC alone and called for stronger collaboration between the commission and other government agencies, regulators, professional organisations and oversight institutions.

He said the commission was working with various agencies to improve coordination and ensure that corruption cases were addressed more effectively.

The North Rift regional manager said collaboration was particularly important because corruption can involve multiple institutions and sectors, requiring different agencies to work together.

He said professional organisations also have an important role to play in promoting ethical conduct and accountability among their members.

Anti-corruption education targeting learners

Beyond investigations and enforcement, Too said EACC was investing in preventive measures, including anti-corruption education in learning institutions.

He said the commission had expanded its engagement with tertiary and higher education institutions to promote ethics and integrity among young people.

Too disclosed that EACC had partnered with the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (KICD) to develop topics aimed at educating learners on ethical conduct.

The initiative is intended to introduce anti-corruption and integrity principles to learners and encourage them to make ethical decisions in their personal, professional and public lives.

He said the commission was also supporting the establishment of integrity clubs in institutions of learning.

According to Too, the clubs provide students with an opportunity to discuss issues surrounding ethics, integrity, accountability and corruption.

EACC has also been participating in drama festivals where learners use creative performances to address corruption and related social issues.

Too said such initiatives were important because fighting corruption requires both enforcement and prevention.

He described educating young people on integrity as an important long-term strategy in creating a culture that rejects corruption.

Citizens' role in fighting corruption

The officials also emphasised the importance of citizens participating in efforts to combat corruption by reporting suspected wrongdoing and supporting accountability initiatives.

Too said the public participation forums provide an opportunity for citizens not only to comment on EACC's budget but also to highlight areas where they believe the commission needs to improve its services.

He said feedback from citizens would help the commission determine where resources should be directed and which programmes require greater attention.

The commission is expected to continue with the consultations in various regions before the completion of the budget-making process.

EACC wants increased capacity

While appreciating the increase in its budget, Too said the commission still requires substantially more resources if it is to effectively respond to the scale of corruption complaints received across the country.

He said the additional resources would be used to strengthen investigations, increase staffing, monitor government projects, support asset recovery and enhance prevention programmes.

Tingisha similarly said additional funding would enable the commission to expand its monitoring activities in the North Rift and other parts of the country.

The officials maintained that strengthening EACC's institutional capacity would be critical in ensuring that corruption cases are investigated efficiently and that public resources are protected.

The public participation exercise therefore provides an avenue for citizens and stakeholders to influence how the commission prioritises its resources in the coming financial period.