We all have our reservations about Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko however, whether he was your Governor of choice or not, we have to admit that he has done a few things to make Nairobi better. As controversial as he could sometimes be, we need to give credit where credit is due. That is exactly what the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has done.
The EACC has praised Governor Sonko for the integrity in his government saying that the complaints of bribery at City Hall have reduced significantly since the Governor took office about a year ago.
According to the EACC Assistant Director Erick Munyao, the agency has recorded few corruption complaints from the public regarding City Hall. He however did not state the exact number of corruption cases involving county officers the commission had recorded.
Mr. Munyao attributed the reduction in the number of complaints to stringent measures and constant exposures of corrupt officers by top county officials which he said has scared county officers.
“County leadership has shown commitment to eliminate corruption and this has helped reduce some corruption and unethical issues,” Munyao said.
Since he took over from Evans Kidero in August last year, Governor Sonko has exposed corrupt officers, suspended and sacked more than 300 county officers over corruption allegations. He has also put on the spot business people who have tried to bribe him in order to get approval for their projects.
The Governor has in the recent past assured the people of Nairobi of his commitment to fighting corruption in the corridors of City Hall.
“Even if my close family members or friends are involved in corruption, they will face the full force of the law,” said Sonko.
Speaking at a workshop in Mombasa last week, Mr. Munyao urged the county government to establish an ethics and integrity department that will develop and enforce integrity and anti-corruption strategies at City Hall.
“The county should develop a mechanism for holding heads of units responsible for corruption and unethical conduct in their units,” he said.
In August, EACC detectives arrested and charged businessman Praful Kumar for allegedly attempting to bribe the governor with Ksh. 1 million to approve the construction of his hotel situated in Gigiri near the United Nations.
This year in April Governor Sonko sent 30 county procurement staff on compulosry leave for allegedly inflating prices and issuing local purchase orders without necessary approval. Five county officers were also busted with Ksh. 7 million cash after the Governor made an impromptu visit to the cash office.
The EACC Assistant Director also praised the county government for strengthening systems and enhancing checks over the management of public affairs. He encouraged the county to partner with the commission to regularly undertake integrity testing for officers in corruption prone departments.
“The county needs to include corruption prevention as a term of employment in all employment contracts for staff. It should also undertake corruption risk assessment and implement mitigation measures,” he said.
Do you agree with the EACC that Governor Sonko has been intentional in the fight against corruption?