Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Chairman Archbishop (Emeritus) Dr. Eliud Wabukala has called on stakeholders to go beyond the law and target the spirit in the war against graft and unethical behaviour.
Noting that corruption still remains Kenya’s greatest challenge, Dr. Wabukala said that it is desired of all the stakeholders in the fight against the vice to look beyond the anti-corruption laws and regulations for a sustainable and impactful long-term strategy.
He said that from experience, corruption is majorly a consequence of avarice and an entrenched cynical culture that requires the infusion of positive social norms and values in the anti-graft strategic plans.
“Corruption is primarily caused by negative culture, greed, conflict of interest and a dilapidated moral fabric. In this regard, there is growing acknowledgement that social norms and values are also critical in effectively preventing corruption and unethical conduct,” he said as he opened EACC’s one-day capacity building workshop for the faith-based organisations in Machakos County at Machakos University yesterday.
He added that there is need for the adoption of value-based interventions through entrenching morals that foster good governance, transparency, accountability and ethical leadership – a value-based anti-corruption approach, which entails integrating core values of ethics and integrity in society, aims at influencing society to entrench values that positively shape the character of their members without the need for legal or regulatory enforcement.
The Chair singled out honesty, patriotism, social justice, protection of the marginalized, selfless service, good governance, integrity, transparency and accountability as sound values and principles that hold the key to the strength, vitality and prosperity of a society.
He also challenged the faith-based sector, which is in good stead because of the trust and respect its fraternity holds in society, to take up its place in the value-based approach to the fight against corruption and appeal to the conscious of their members to overtly shun corruption and unethical conduct.
The agenda of the faith-based fraternity of the 1980s through 90s to early 2000, Dr. Wabukala reminisced, focused on the hardware by mainly agitating for constitutional reforms. Times have since changed and he called on the present day religious leaders to target the ‘software’, to reengineer the values and morals of the society.
“As you are all aware, faith-based scriptures such as the Bible pronounce moral principles that abhor dishonesty, greed, selfishness, unjustly acquired wealth and bribery,” Wabukala said, urging the faith-based fraternity to embrace and uphold not just the Godly values but also the national values and principles in Art.10 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010.
In order to ensure delivery on its mandate, the Chairman revealed, the Commission has adopted a four-thronged strategy that focuses on, one; high impact investigations based on personalities, value of loss and public interest; asset-tracing and recovery; prevention, public awareness and education and; partnerships and strategic linkages with other stakeholders in the rule of law and governance sector.
Flanked by deputy director education and public awareness, Dr. Emily Mworia and head of EACC Lower Eastern Regional Office Mr. Ben Murei, the Chairman noted that the Commission has, in the last three years undertaken and concluded investigations in respect to 501 high impact cases on corruption and related offences, finalising 191 cases.
The EACC has recovered and surrendered Sh22.8 billion in corruptly acquired assets and unexplained wealth and is pursuing forfeiture of corruptly acquired assets and unexplained wealth worth approximately Sh33 billion in various courts across the country. Besides, it has also averted approximately Sh32.5 billion through proactive investigations and disruption of corruption networks.
