The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has raised concerns over a worrying trend in which public officials are enlisting family members to facilitate the theft of public funds.
During the release of the 2023/24 annual report on Tuesday, EACC Chairperson David Oginde condemned the practice, saying that it undermines the family's role in fostering integrity and ethics. "We have observed a growing pattern where public officials involve their family members-children, spouses-as proxies to steal from the public.
They create fictitious companies to tender for government contracts and divert funds into private accounts," said Oginde. He added, "The unfortunate reality is that when the law catches up, entire families have been arrested, which is not a good look." The report outlined the Commission's efforts to recover assets obtained through corruption.
In the 2023/24 Financial Year, EACC reclaimed assets worth approximately Sh2.9 billion through 11 proactive investigations.
