The Kenyan parliament has been urged to empower Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission by giving it authority to prosecute individuals who are linked with corruption cases.
On Tuesday, during a burial of a prominent businessman near Nyakongo market, speaker after speaker said the war on graft was unlikely to bear fruits if the law creating the commission remained the way it is.
They challenged parliament to amend the clause creating the commission for the sake of fighting rampant corruption in the country, which has allegedly reached its peak.
“Corruption is a sabotage to economic development and our country is losing billions of shillings to corruption related Bills. We can only win this war if Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) agree to give the commission powers to prosecute and makes it completely independent of all arms of government,” said Peterson Ondieki.
They accused parliament of being an impediment to fight against corruption, criticizing the recent move by parliament to alter the law, which if assented to by President Kenyatta, will see the commission being in existence without commissioners and the secretariat.
“Every Kenyan knows what has been ongoing in parliament. They have been antagonizing KACC and that is why we have lagged behind in the fight against corruption. They (MPs) can vindicate themselves by giving the commission powers to investigate and prosecute corruption cases,’” added Kisii County leader of majority Protus Moindi.
The war against corruption has been a subject of discussion for two months now since President Kenyatta tabled names of individuals accused on corruption, with the three commissioners resigning over various grounds and parliament voting recently in favour of sending secretariat away till the commission is reconstituted.