EACC urges governors to implement audit committee recommendations
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has called on governors to implement recommendations arising from the audit committee reports on corruption and governance issues.
The EACC urged governors to take seriously the recommendations made by the committees established after the August 2022 elections, as failure to implement them could amount to a waste of public funds.
Speaking at an anti-corruption workshop in Nakuru on Wednesday, EACC’s Head of Corporate Affairs and Communication Eric Ngumbi said that governors have a primary responsibility to protect the public resources entrusted to them.
He emphasized that the establishment of audit committees is not enough and that governors must put in place strong internal controls to prevent further corrupt conduct.
“EACC appreciates the Governors who have established Audit Committees following the Advisory issued by EACC and identified various gaps that require reform action. However, this is not enough. Upon receipt of Reports from the Audit Committees, Governors should proceed to put in place strong internal controls, prevent further corrupt conduct and refer matters that require intervention by EACC for appropriate law enforcement action,” said Ngumbi.
Ngumbi also stated that EACC will continue to investigate suspects of corruption for possible prosecution and recovery of any corruptly acquired assets.
He made the comments during a one-week anti-corruption workshop for over 50 Integrity Assurance Officers drawn from 12 public institutions at Egerton University.
According to EACC, Integrity Assurance Officers are designated as such upon specialized training and certification by EACC to spearhead the implementation of corruption prevention strategies in their institutions.
Some of the institutions represented at the workshop include the Office of the Controller of Budget, National Center of International Arbitration, the Engineers Board of Kenya, Water Resources Authority, Kenya Reinsurance, Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation, and the National Irrigation Board.