This archive report was first published on 21 November 2019.
Kenya's war on corruption has been ongoing for years, but private sector executives say it will only be effectively won if anti-graft watchdogs also target individuals in the private sector who abet the vice by bribing public officials to win tenders.
According to Jubilee Holdings Group chief executive Julius Kipng'etich, public officials and private sector players are equally responsible for perpetuating graft in the country. He made the remarks during an international Fraud Awareness Week meeting in Nairobi.
“Public officials avail the demand while private sector players perpetuate graft by splashing monies that result in bending of rules. As a result, we have unqualified professionals who cannot practice their trade properly but deliver half-baked results,” said Kipng'etich.
He called for tough measures to restore Kenya's ability to attract investments, where investors are facilitated to set up faster than it currently takes from the acquisition of licenses and approvals to transfer of land, connection to electricity, water and sewer lines.
“Corruption has led to a loss of incentive structure in Kenya where regulatory agencies and other state departments deter investors from launching their operations in Kenya by demanding bribes. They now prefer to invest in Dubai than Nairobi with God-given 19-degree weather,” he said.
Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) chief executive Jane Mugo said Kenya needs to enhance its capacity to investigate graft and fraud to push up the number of convictions for cases submitted to the courts.
“Police officers are mandated by law to investigate and prefer criminal charges against suspects but lack the requisite knowledge to detect fraud and seal evidence-loopholes that have seen many go scot-free,” she said.
Kenya's anti-graft watchdog, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), has been criticized for only punishing public officials and not targeting private sector players who perpetuate graft.
