Murang’a – The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has expressed deep concern over the escalating levels of corruption in county governments across Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, despite counties receiving over Sh1.5 trillion since the start of devolution a decade ago, some have shown little to no progress in development, primarily due to corruption.
Muriu, speaking at the launch of an anti-corruption audit in Murang’a County, pointed out that the lack of effective accountability structures and governance systems has led to the rampant embezzlement of public funds and unethical practices within devolved units. “It is sad that a significant portion of the money transferred to counties for operations and development has been lost through corruption, causing some counties to regress,” Muriu stated.
The Vice Chairperson criticized county assemblies and executives for failing to establish robust structures and policies to protect public resources. She emphasized that corruption severely hampers a country’s social, economic, and political progress, undermines democracy, and leads to inequalities that violate basic rights.
Highlighting the gravity of the situation, Muriu mentioned that since devolution was implemented, the EACC uncovered payments amounting to Sh.35 billion to ghost workers in county administrations. She asserted that fighting corruption is crucial for utilizing public resources effectively, improving the quality of life, fostering economic development, reducing poverty, and achieving sustainable development.
To combat corruption, Muriu urged county administrations to implement strong structures, policies, procedures, and processes for managing resources. The commission’s preventive strategy aims to help county governments detect and prevent corruption and unethical practices. “This is part of our focus on proactive approaches to tackle corruption,” she added, noting that the prevention strategy ensures the detection, disruption, and punishment of corrupt practices before significant damage occurs.
The EACC has conducted corruption risk management in 28 counties, as well as various government ministries and agencies. Some devolved units have shown substantial improvement after implementing EACC’s recommendations. The ongoing audit in Murang’a County is designed to identify systemic weaknesses and loopholes that facilitate corruption in public fund management.
Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and the County Assembly speaker pledged to collaborate with the EACC team to develop anti-corruption strategies. Kang’ata noted that he has combated corruption through the automation of service delivery and levy collection, emphasizing the need for intensified efforts against corruption at all government levels.