The National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK) on Thursday called for corrupt public officials to be given a one-year amnesty to declare and return stolen funds.
In a press statement read by Secretary-General Reverend Canon Peter Karanja in Limuru, the organization noted that the country needed to take measures to stop normalizing corruption.
"We recommend that Parliament enacts a legal framework and constitutional amendments as would be necessary to establish a one-year amnesty for individuals who have engaged in corruption in the past to declare and surrender to the state all corruptly acquired properties and finances.
"An individual seeking to benefit from the amnesty must give a full account of all they stole and disclose others in their corruption networks. In return, such an individual will be granted immunity from prosecution during the window provided," NCCK stated.
[caption caption="NCCK General Secretary Rev. Canon Peter Karanja is flanked by Chairperson Rev. Canon Rosemary Mbogo during a press conference in Limuru"]
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The council stated that the amnesty period would not be applicable for corruption perpetrated from the day it is over.
"Any further engagement in corruption or concealment of past corruption must be punished under the new regime of sanctions that will be instituted.
"It is our considered position that offering this amnesty will provide a critical incentive for beneficiaries of corruption to repent and turn their lives around, speed up justice for Kenyans who have suffered immensely on account of corruption and enable us to clean up our past," Rev Karanja added.
The executive committee further called upon President Uhuru Kenyatta to declare corruption a national disaster: "This will create a break with the past and turn a new page on the fight against the corruption scourge. It will also enable the country to institute extraordinary measures as is apparently necessary."
They recommended that the existing anti-corruption laws be enhanced to provide harsher punishments.
"We recommend the establishment of specialized corruption cases courts that have defined, strict and realistic timelines to conclude cases brought before them: Accelerated investigations and prosecution: Life imprisonment for those found guilty: A low threshold for removal from office of culprits: Recovery of all assets corruptly acquired: Stripping of state honours after the window of amnesty is closed and Barring culprits from holding public office for life," the council conveyed.
[caption caption="NCCK Executive Committee Members pose for a group photo following their two-day statutory meeting in Jumuia Resort Conference and Country Home Limuru "]
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