EACC Enhances Implementation of Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities System

EACC’s Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Twalib Mbarak addressing the media after the Stakeholders’ Validation Workshop for Draft Administrative Procedures for the Management of Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities (DIALs). Looking on is the EACC Chairperson, Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) held a validation workshop to review Draft Administrative Procedures for the Management of Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities (DIALs). The participants were drawn from Responsible Commissions mandated to implement the provisions of the Public Officers Ethics Act, 2003(POEA) in the National Government.

The procedures, which were drafted by EACC, were presented at a stakeholders’ Validation Workshop on April 11^th, 2019 at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC), Nairobi.

The Workshop was officially opened by Prof. Margaret Kobia, represented by Hon. Rachel Shebesh, Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs, accompanied by the EACC Chairperson, Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala.

Prof. Margaret Kobia thanked the Commission for carrying out its oversight mandate diligently by supporting public entities to comply with the leadership and integrity requirements provided for under Chapter Six of the Constitution and in other related integrity laws.

On his part, the EACC Chairperson, Archbishop (Rtd.) Eliud Wabukala, welcomed such collaboration with stakeholders from the National Government, saying it is a step in the right direction and resonates very well with Kenyans’ expectations of public institutions in the quest for integrity and good governance.

EACC’s Secretary/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Twalib Mbarak called for the need to fast-track the validation of the Procedures, and urged the participants to carry out their duties professionally, diligently and vigorously, in order to trace and recover any assets acquired through illegal means.

Development of administrative procedures is a mandatory requirement as stipulated under Section 33(1) of the POEA which requires that each responsible commission develops administrative procedures for management of DIALs for its Public Officers. In addition, Section 33(4) of POEA requires the responsible commission to publish the procedures failure to which a Public Officer is not obliged to make their declaration.

To date, only three (3) out of the over twenty (20) responsible commissions in the National Government have in place updated administrative procedures. These entities include the Teacher Service Commission (TSC), Public Service Commission (PSC) and the EACC.

It is for this reason that, pursuant to Section 44 of the Leadership and Integrity Act, 2012, which empowers and obligates EACC to provide advisory services towards compliance with the integrity laws, the Commission developed and harmonized generic administrative procedures in order to support the Responsible Commissions in the National Government in developing their own.

Previously, the Commission has also assisted the County Public Service Boards, County Assembly Service Boards and County Assembly Powers and Privilege Committees, who are the designated responsible commissions for managing DIALs, to develop generic administrative procedures, and they are currently at various stages of customizing them for implementation.

It is expected after the validation workshop that each responsible commission is to adopt and customize the procedures and publish it in the Kenya Gazette as required by law, before implementation. The implementation will go a long way in enhancing compliance with law regarding financial disclosures by all State and Public Officers.

Participants pose for a group photo during the validation workshop to review Draft Administrative Procedures for the Management of Declaration of Income, Assets and Liabilities (DIALs).