This archive report was first published on 1 November 2019.
Kenya Governors Demand Probe into Auditors Demanding Bribes ¶
On October 31, 2019, Council of Governors chairman Wycliffe Oparanya met with Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) officers to report allegations of auditors demanding bribes to write favourable financial reports.
Oparanya, the leader of Kakamega County, claimed to have collected enough evidence from different counties to substantiate the claim, stating, "We are in possession of evidence proving that some auditors have been demanding bribes in order to dish out favours."
He also criticized investigative agencies for mishandling governors implicated in graft, saying, "In the recent past, governors accused of corruption have been mishandled and arrested in full glare of the media. We strongly oppose the manner in which the process has been handled and politicised by agencies."
Wycliffe Oparanya threatened to initiate a separate prosecution if the EACC failed to promptly investigate the auditors. He also expressed concerns about the strained relationship between county and national governments, which he believed had created loopholes in financial management procedures.
Several sitting and former governors have been implicated in corruption syndicates in counties and are facing charges in court. The EACC has been urged to work with county leaders to tackle corruption.
