The EACC Director of Preventive Services Mr Vincent Okong'o at Kisumu Hotel, October 5, 2017. [Photo|R.Muyela]
The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has embarked on enforcement of the Bribery Act 2016 to give impetus in wedging war against corruption.
The objective of the Bribery Act 2016 which was signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta on December 23rd, 2016 it to criminalize the act of giving or receiving bribes in the private sector.
EACC Director of Preventive Services Vincent Okong’o said corruption was deeply entrenched in the country but the focus was mainly on those receiving bribes making it difficult to kill the vice.
Through the bribery act 2016, he said people found giving bribes shall equally be indicted to step up the fight against graft.
He made the remarks during a consultative meeting on graft with stakeholders in the transport sector from Western Kenya, Thursday.
The Director said corruption in the transport sector was rampant with over Sh. 3 billion given out annually in form of bribes.
This, he said was to blame for the high number of road accidents recorded daily whose negative impact on the economy was enormous.
Okong’o said through collaboration with the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA), 35 people have so far been apprehended out of which 25 have been charged in court under the new laws.
Since 2016, he said EACC has handled 316 cases in the sector out of which 79 have been determined and 145 police officers charged. So far 6 police officers have been convicted
Most of the cases he said involved bribery, abuse of office and obstructing EACC officers from administering their duties.
To curb corruption in the transport sector, he called for a multi-sectoral approach involving EACC, Judiciary, Insurance sector, Matatu Owners Association and the Director of Public Prosecution who were all represented in the meeting.