Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders have called on government to emulate the private sector in managing funds and fighting corruption.
MPs Opiyo Wandayi (Ugunja) and Gideon Ochanda (Bondo) asked the government to stop wastage and misappropriation of public funds and instead manage them properly for the benefit of Kenyans.
The two law makers observed that government institutions were riddled with corruption which had led to the financial crisis the country is in currently.
The two leaders were speaking in Siradumb village in Ugunja sub county, Siaya County during the launch of a Sh7.2 million water project by East Africa Breweries Limited (EABL).
The project is set to benefit over 7,000 residents from Siradumb village.
Ochanda said if the project was given to public officers to construct, they could not have managed to come up with a good project worth the amount allocated to it.
“This is clear demonstration that resources should be used in a prudent manner. The private sector should now implement projects because the government has failed,” said Ochanda.
He expressed his displeasure at the way the Cabinet Secretary for Devolution Ann Waiguru had budgets of various items inflated, amounting to corruption and misuse of funds.
“Corporates have fiscal discipline and are very strict, this is what the government should emulate to avoid wastage of public funds,” said Ochanda.
Wandayi said Kenya cannot develop because of the rampant corruption stealing and wastage and this can be stopped if the government emulates what the private sector is doing.
“If we can allocate and use public resources in a prudent manner, then we can really achieve development,” said Wandayi.
He asked county governments to partner with the private sector and learn best practices in resource management.
He added that the government has failed in putting up structures and policies that can seal loop holes in finance management.
Wandayi stated that when he raised corruption in the National Youth Service (NYS) in parliament, people did not believe him while others disrupted him.
“We cannot sit back and watch impunity thrive in the country, therefore we need a thorough complete and independent audit on various government agencies to understand where we went wrong as a country and also bring the perpetrators of the financial crisis to book,” said Wandayi.