President Kenyatta said yesterday that he would be strengthening the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations as part of his ongoing anti-corruption drive.
That move will be welcomed by most Kenyans who are fed up with persistent plundering of the government coffers.
However every year the Auditor General churns out reports on where money has gone missing in ministries, counties and parastatals.
His reports are so comprehensive that there are regular calls for him to be replaced.
The findings of the Auditor can be sent to the EACC and the DCI for criminal prosecution, although that rarely seems to happen.
But if there is not sufficient evidence to secure a criminal conviction, there may still be enough to dismiss a government officer.
The government is the appointing authority. If the government is genuine in its crackdown on corruption, it should use the Auditor’s reports as a basis to sack civil servants who are persistently involved in financial mismanagement, even if there is not sufficient evidence to prosecute them.
Quote of the day: "If your hunch proves a good one, you were inspired; if it proves bad, you are guilty of yielding to thoughtless impulse."
Beryl Markham
The Kenyan aviator was born on 26 October, 1902