Turkana County Employees Embark on Mandatory Wealth Declaration Exercise
Turkana – In a comprehensive compliance exercise, all 3900 employees of the County Government of Turkana are set to declare their wealth through the Public Service Board, following recommendations from the Public Service Commission and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) of Kenya.
According to Kenya News Agency, the chair of the board’s sub-committee on governance and compliance, the declaration process officially kicks off on Wednesday, November 1, 2023. The teams from the Public Service Board will be traveling to various sub-counties for a sensitization campaign and to distribute the necessary forms for the wealth declaration. The entire exercise is expected to wrap up by December 2023. “The sensitization and form distribution will take place over 10 days, from November 1st to November 10th, 2023, in the sub-counties,” Losinyono stated. The locations selected for conducting this exercise include health facilities, ward administrators’ offices, and other strategic locations across the county.
The wealth declaration is a statutory requirement, mandated by the Public Officers Ethics Act (POEA) 2003, the Leadership and Integrity Act 2016 (LIA), as well as Articles 10 and 232 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. Losinyono emphasized the importance of compliance, warning of severe consequences for those who fail to declare their wealth. He also mentioned that the final report of this exercise would be submitted to the EACC and the Public Service Commission for review and action where necessary.
Reflecting on the previous wealth declaration exercise in 2021, Losinyono confirmed that 321 employees were found to be non-compliant, and their names were subsequently submitted to the relevant authorities for necessary action. To ensure a smoother process this time around, Joseph Ngatotin, the human resources personnel in charge of the board, assured that plans are in place to undertake the sensitization and form distribution. “We will reach out to all employees, whether they are at the county headquarters, in the sub-county, or in the wards across the county,” Ngatotin said, highlighting the board’s commitment to ensuring full participation.
Ngatotin also confirmed that the board’s staff had been adequately prepared, equipped with the necessary knowledge to guide their colleagues through the process, and to assist them in accurately filling out the forms. He clarified that the forms would require staff to provide detailed information regarding their income, assets, and liabilities over the last two years, ensuring a comprehensive declaration of wealth.