Tobiko upbeat despite challenges at ODPP

By ISAAC MESO

Kenya: The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has prosecuted up to 56 cases forwarded by the  Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC)  last year.

Among these, 34 were given the go ahead, while six were referred back for further investigations. Another eight cases were closed.

This is according to an annual anti-corruption report released by DPP Keriako Tobiko.

Tobiko said some of the challenges his office has faced include inability to attract and retain qualified legal staff, limited office space and library facilities as well as lack of research facilities.

However he said plans have been put in place to ensure to ensure effective service delivery this year.

“The ODPP continues to pursue the issue of improving conditions of service in order to prevent the high staff turnover that has characterized the office in previous years. However, by the end of the year, the issue of salary increases for the staff had not been conclusively resolved” he said

The DDP also noted that in a bid to professionalize prosecution services, his office  had embarked on taking over prosecution of cases in the subordinate courts by posting prosecution counsel to these courts.

“By the end of the year, prosecution counsel was handling majority of corruption and economic crimes. We aim to take over 100 per cent prosecutions of corruption and economic crimes,” he reiterated.

He revealed that his office had entered into and fostered collaboration with other related agencies in order to ensure and enhance the realization of the ODPP Act and the office’s mandate.  Top on the list of the cases handed in for prosecution by EACC included the one on the procurement of a chancery and ambassador’s residence for the Kenyan Embassy in Tokyo, Japan.