Corruption major warning to devolution, say lawmakers

The anti-corruption organization only has provincial offices which serve a number of counties.

From left, Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, Senate Majority Leader Kindiki Kithure, Devolution Cabinet Secretary Mwangi Kiunjuri, Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro and Mombasa County Senator Hassan Omar during the 2016 Inaugural Legislative Summit between county assembly members and senators at the Emerald Flamingo Beach Resort in Mombasa on May 24, 2016.

Senators and MCAs want the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to open offices in every county in a bid to curb runaway corruption in the devolved units.

On Thursday, they said having EACC operations in the counties would help to stop the vice that has been blamed for the increasing audit queries in the Auditor-General’s reports.

In a resolution reached during a legislative summit held in Mombasa that brought together the two sets of lawmakers, they concluded that graft was the biggest threat to devolution and should be dealt with before it totally ruins it.

“The conference, therefore, resolved and recommended to increase resource allocation for the establishment of EACC offices in every county to facilitate ease of reporting and of carrying out speedy investigations,” said the lawmakers.

This was one of the 17 resolutions adopted during the inaugural summit.

Currently, the anti-corruption agency has only regional offices that serve several counties.

The EACC has said it is unable to have 47 offices unless the government allocates more funds to it.

The battle against graft was one of the key topics during the five-day summit that began on Monday, with governors being accused of running schemes to swindle counties out of money.

“The biggest threat to devolution is the blatant looting of public resources in the counties. Corruption has permeated both the national and county governments but our mandate as a Senate is to look at the counties. Devolution was not put in place to create small demigods in the counties the way it is now,” said Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki.

Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula said county assemblies should be strengthened and made financially independent from governors in order to ensure they performed their roles undeterred.

Mr Wetang’ula said devolution had enabled distribution of national resources but decried the extravagance in the devolved units.

“Devolution is a wonderful dream but we are afraid that some governors are giving it a bad name,” said the Bungoma senator.

Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar said senators and MCAs should work closely to make sure governors account for resources allocated to them yearly.

“We are the protectors of devolution, not governors. Let us not make the mistake that those counties equal governors. We protect resources of those counties. There is no contradiction in senators asking governors to account for money given them,” said Mr Omar.

Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro challenged the lawmakers to lead the way in the fight against corruption, saying it affected both levels of government.

“Corruption in whatever sector and whichever level is an anathema and must be ruthlessly eradicated before it haemorrhages or bleeds Kenya to death,” said Mr Ethuro.

The summit ends on Friday.

Courtesy of DAILY NATION