This archive report was first published on 5 October 2019.
On October 4, 2019, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) announced that it had identified top state officials, including Governors, Cabinet Secretaries, and Members of Parliament, who are being investigated over their citizenship status.
According to EACC Chief Executive Officer Twalib Mbarak, the investigation is targeting all State and Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officers, with the aim of ensuring compliance with the law.
"The exercise is meant to ensure compliance with the law. Based on intelligence reports and information given to us by the public, the scope of the investigations is not limited to specific institutions but all State officers," Mbarak said.
The probe is focused on State officers who hold dual citizenship, which is against the law. Mbarak clarified that the inquiry has nothing to do with Parliament as an institution but rather with individual State officers who may be in contravention of the law.
"The law is very clear; the officers shall not hold dual citizenship. The same applies to the defence forces," Mbarak emphasized.
On Thursday night, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale criticized EACC's announcement, linking it to Parliament's rejection of President Uhuru Kenyatta's ambassador nominee to South Korea, Mwende Mwinzi.
