Most of the former and current Governors’ wives have been accused of possessing IFMIS passwords through which they steal public funds.
Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (EACC) Vice Chairperson,Ms. Sophia Lepuchirit said Governors will be held accountable if found that their spouses really accessed public funds for personal use.
“It is against the law for the county executives’ spouses to have knowledge of county government’s accounts details, leave alone accessing IFMIS passwords,” the vice chairperson warned.
Lepuchirit made the remarks during the International Anti-Corruption Day Sunday at the Meru National Polytechnic.
She said EACC had been doing capacity building to Kenyans as a form of graft prevention observing that war against the vice would be stepped up besides having some high profile individuals already prosecuted.
The anti-graft Commission Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Halakhe Waqo urged members of the public to assist his commission in the fight against corruption.
Waqo said there were complaints in public hospitals, public schools, police and other public organisations regarding corruption but regretted that most of the complainants were deep in it and only complained when kept off such deals.
He said the fight against corruption should not be left to the commission alone, but all Kenyans must join hands to fight it.
The CEO observed that corruption was not only being witnessed in government or public offices but also in the private sector and urged each and every Kenyan to play a role in the fight for better development of the country.
Meru Governor Kiraitu Murungi regretted that corruption money was being transformed into political capital that was being used to bribe voters.
He suggested that voting be made compulsory like in Brazil so that those who do not vote are charged before a court of law.
Kiraitu who was the Guest of Honour, said there has been infighting between different anti-corruption agencies “but of late things are working on the fight after the infightings were dealt with.
He noted that previously the anti-corruption agencies had investigators who minded only about their stomachs rather than fighting corruption.
The Governor threw the crowd into stitches when he gave a story of hyenas who were for some time following a man who had stolen some meat.
Whenever the hyenas were in reach, meat thief threw some of it to the ground leaving the hyenas fighting amongst themselves as the thief went uncaught by them.
Kiraitu said the previous investigators used to fight for the “meat” stolen by the lead man whenever they neared the said thief but commended the new investigations team, saying it was really working resulting in prosecution of high profile people.
He castigated religious groups for being party to corruption, noting that even churches had turned into agents of graft as they received corruptly acquired money from fundraisers and praised the corrupt even before the congregations.
Kenya University Students Organisation (KUSO) Chair, Antony Manyara advocated for a curriculum review in the fight against corruption noting that the vice begins from the elementary schools.
By Richard Muhambe
