EACC, county assemblies seek to partner in graft war

EACC Chairperson David Oginde. [File, Standard]

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is seeking to partner with county assemblies to end irregularities in expenditure by devolved units.

This comes after Auditor General Nancy Gathungu flagged expenditure irregularities and misuse of funds in various counties.

Speaking in Nakuru county Tuesday, EACC Chairperson David Oginde said public funds would not be lost or misused if the MCAs took their oversight role seriously.

The visit came in the wake of a 2022/2023 audit report that revealed anomalies in legal fees expenditure, compensation of employees, domestic travels, and stalled projects in counties.

"Key stakeholders in counties are the assembly which plays an oversight role and how resources are utilised. Our partnership with the assembly is very important," said Oginde.

He said EACC should be rooped in during investigations in a bid to ensure resources allocated to counties are utilised well.

"The MCAs have to question expenditure, deal with any breaches in resource usage, take action or in turn refer the matter to EACC," he said.

Oginde urged MCAs and EACC officials to operate within their ethical standards and ensure Nakuru serves as an example to other counties.

"Unfortunately, we have seen a few individuals privatising public resources brought to county levels and using them for personal gain. Kenyans end up suffering because they lack services," he added.

He said that the commission will examine audit reports touching on counties, investigate irregularities and ensure those culpable face the law.