This archive report was first published on 24 June 2020.
Published on June 24, 2020, corruption remains the single most destructive factor that undermines economic growth. Billions of shillings are lost through graft every year, yet the war against the vice has been hampered by legal loopholes, leading to delays in prosecuting suspects and convicting the culprits.
High-profile corruption cases have stalled in the courts due to the slow judicial process, with serious implications. Suspects adept at manipulating systems obstruct cases and escape punishment after stealing from the public, while innocent people accused of fraud endure a long wait to have their suits determined, undermining due process.
The proposed Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2020 aims to address these issues by introducing a strict timeline for concluding corruption cases, requiring them to be decided within two years. The bill also seeks to empower the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to rein in public officers with secret offshore accounts.
For the graft war to be successful, judicial officers, investigators, and prosecutors must work in sync. The law is not enough if its executors operate at cross-purposes. Parliament must revitalise the war on graft by conducting thorough debates, critically examining issues, and making proper determinations to strengthen and expedite the process of investigation, prosecution, and arbitration.
