President William Ruto has announced the establishment of a new multi-agency team to intensify the war against graft. This comes just a day after the Head of State sternly warned lawmakers over their involvement in bribery and unethical practices.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Ruto revealed that the Multi-Agency Team on War Against Graft (MAT) had been created to foster synergy and strengthen inter-agency cooperation in tackling graft, economic crimes, and related offences.
The team will be chaired by the Executive Office of the President, with the Office of the Attorney General serving as the head of the Secretariat.
Other key institutions represented include the National Intelligence Service (NIS), the Ethics and Anti-Graft Commission (EACC), the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Also in the team are the Financial Reporting Centre (FRC), the Asset Recovery Agency (ARA), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Central Bank of Kenya (CBK), and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA).
The membership has also been granted powers to co-opt additional representatives from other designated agencies whenever necessary to bolster its operations and effectiveness.
Team Targets
According to the Head of State, the team will work to enhance cooperation, coordination, and collaboration among key anti-graft institutions.
It will also engage other relevant government organs and the private sector to strengthen the effectiveness of the campaign against graft.
The MAT will further identify the resource needs of each collaborating agency and seek support to bridge existing gaps. It will also provide a platform for sharing best practices and innovative approaches in tackling graft across Kenya.
In addition, the team is tasked with developing communication strategies to raise awareness about the progress and achievements made in the war against graft, thereby building public confidence.
Further, MAT will seek to engage both domestic and international partners to improve the battle against economic crimes as well as organised crime and enhance efforts to recover proceeds of graft.
Ruto stated that the multiagency team will be funded from the budgetary allocations of its member entities and other sources. However, he did not shed light on the other alternative sources.
''The MAT shall, to the greatest extent possible, foster cooperation, coordination, and collaboration to enhance the effectiveness of the war against graft. For this purpose, the team shall be funded from the budgetary allocations of its member entities and other sources,'' Ruto stated in part.
Meanwhile, the President has found himself on the receiving end after he announced government plans to intensify the war against graft by targeting MPs whom he alleged to have received credible intel on their vices. According to Ruto, they have been receiving millions in bribes to influence outcomes of key parliamentary processes.
