President William Ruto has announced the formation of a new multi-agency team to intensify the government’s fight against corruption.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the head of state said the team will be chaired by the Executive Office of the President, while the Office of the Attorney General will serve as the secretariat.
The team will bring together officials from key institutions including the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Authority.
The President added that the team may co-opt other agencies as needed to support its work.
“The membership is mandated to co-opt additional representation from designated agencies to further its objectives,” the statement reads.
“The MAT shall, to the greatest extent possible, foster cooperation, coordination, and collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of the fight against corruption. For this purpose, the team shall be funded from the budget allocations of its member entities and other sources.”
Other objectives of the team include working with both government and private sector institutions to improve anti-corruption efforts, assessing the resource needs of each agency, sharing best practices in tackling corruption, creating better public awareness on corruption, and engaging both local and international partners in the fight against graft.
The announcement comes at a time when the President has accused some Members of Parliament and Senators of demanding bribes from government officials.
Legislators have strongly denied the allegations and called on the President to provide evidence.
Some MPs have even demanded that he appear before Parliament to explain his claims.
Despite the political controversy, President Ruto has maintained that anyone found engaging in corruption will be arrested and prosecuted.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@Kahawatungu.com — this is our only official communication channel
