EACC in push to spend part of recovered money

Kisumu,

Thursday, January 25, 2024

KNA by Chris Mahandara

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is working on legislation that will see the agency retain part of the money recovered in the war against corruption to fund its operations.

EACC Spokesman Eric Ngumbi said the move targets to address financial constraints at the commission which continues to slow down the war against corruption.

Ngumbi said the money allocated to EACC to fight corruption was inadequate adding that the proposal once adopted will see the agency retain a percentage of the money recovered from proceeds of corruption to scale up the war against the vice.

In the 2023-2024 Financial Year budget, the agency received an allocation of Sh3.9 billion from the Exchequer to fund its operations.

According to Ngumbi, 66 percent of the allocation goes to salaries with 34 percent left to run the commission's anti-corruption war.

“That is why we are proposing to retain a percentage of the money that we recover. There is a lot of money in our recovery account but we cannot spend it until the law is amended,” he said.

Ngumbi said the Commission has made great strides in asset recovery over the last five years with assets worth Sh23.7 billion so far recovered.

Several cases, he added, were active in court where the agency targets to recover an additional Sh40.78 billion.

The Commission, he said has further strengthened corruption prevention initiatives which has averted the loss of Sh36 billion.

During the same period, he said 655 cases involving high profile individuals have been concluded.

 Ngumbi lauded the Judiciary for landmark rulings that have seen the Commission move with speed to recover assets, land, and funds stolen from public coffers.

He made the remarks in Kisumu during a training for journalists from Kisumu, Siaya, Homa Bay, Migori, and Kakamega counties.

The training organized by Transparency International under the Tupigane na Ufisadi (TUNU) project, targets to enhance the capacity of the media in reporting corruption. 

Courtesy; KNA