This archive report was first published on 9 October 2019.
On October 9, 2019, Nominated Senator Farhiya Ali Haji introduced a bill that seeks to increase transparency in the wealth of top State officials.
The proposed Lifestyle Audit Bill, 2019, aims to remove restrictions on Kenyans seeking to access information on income, assets, and liabilities of public office holders.
Under the bill, wealth declaration forms of State officers would be made easily available to citizens through a website or an unrestricted database hosted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
Public officers, including the President, Deputy President, Cabinet members, MPs, Senators, Governors, and heads of State corporations, would be required to declare their wealth and that of their spouses and dependent children every two years.
According to the bill, the contents of a declaration or clarification would be accessible to the public, and public officers would be required to declare their wealth in December of every second year.
The bill seeks to amend section 30 of the Public Officer Ethics Act and entrench integrity in the public service.
Ms. Haji stated in the bill that there is no legal framework on how a lifestyle audit is to be carried out on a public or State officer suspected of living beyond their lawful income.
