The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has reiterated its commitment towards developing and nurturing a new generation of top-notch anti-corruption crusaders and experts capable of preventing and combating corruption at both personal and institutional level.
Speaking in Nakuru on Monday during the official opening of a five-day workshop involving Integrity Assurance officers from the Office of the President, EACC Commissioner Rose Mghoi said the training is part of the ongoing nationwide training under the National Integrity Academy of the EACC.
According to Mghoi, the training of public officers will help in strengthening the preventive arm of the EACC.
“We have been doing several trainings for public officers. This will help in strengthening the preventive arm of the EACC,” she said.
The officers after training are expected to go back and establish the infrastructure and governance systems within their institutions of operation.
Commissioner Mghoi noted that the move will also help in creating an environment that is hostile to the corrupt so that those who accept to hold public office operate within the law.
She said EACC is now shifting from the usual arrests to now focus on the preventive measures through creating patriotism in Kenyans and enabling public officers to do the right thing as far as ethics and integrity are concerned.
“The emphasis today is not on fighting corruption as we usually do through arrests but we are now actually building systems and creating that patriotism in Kenyans so that they can do the best practices,” said Mghoi.
EACC is also playing a role in the new education Competence-Based Curriculum to ensure values are instilled among young people.
According to Mghoi, already EACC’s contribution in terms of values and integrity has been incorporated, adding that through working closely with schools, integrity clubs have been established where such values are cultivated among the students.
“We are working closely with the education stakeholders as far the CBC is concerned. We also have integrity clubs in schools to instil values in our youths,” she said.
It should be noted that the EACC last year launched a National Integrity Academy which is located along Ngong Road.
While launching the academy, EACC Chief Executive Officer Halakhe Waqo said the anti-corruption curriculum offered will develop the capacity of all sectors and the public on ethics, integrity, anti-corruption and good governance.
Some of the courses offered at the National Integrity Academy include corruption prevention in supply chain management, corruption prevention in public sector financial management and an ethics and integrity course for education managers among others.