National Anti Corruption Steering Committee NACCSC - President's speech during the Launch of District AntiCorruption Civilian Oversight Committees

President's speech during the Launch of District AntiCorruption Civilian Oversight Committees

SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY HON. MWAI KIBAKI, C.G.H., M.P., PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE ARMED FORCES OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA DURING THE LAUNCH OF DISTRICT ANTI-CORRUPTION CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT COMMITTES AT KENYATTA INTERNATIONAL CONEFERENCE CENTRE (KICC), NAIROBI, KENYA ON 6TH FEBRUARY, 2007.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It gives me great pleasure to launch the District Civilian Oversight Committees being organized by the National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee. This is an important step in the fight against corruption. We have now added citizen's watchdogs institutions to those in Government and civil society in the war against corruption. The broadening front in this war is a reflection of the lessons we have learnt in the last four years.

Since 2003 when we embarked on the fight against corruption, we have achieved many milestones. We have passed laws in Parliament defining corruption as economic crime. For instance, the Anti-corruption and Economic Crimes Act and the Public Officer Ethics Act are key legislations in the fight against corruption. We have also passed into law the Government Financial Management Act of 2004 and the Public Procurement and Disposal Act of 2005. The two legislations have ensured a more transparent and accountable use of public funds.

Further, last December, I signed into law the Witness Protection Bill. This Bill is important in protecting those who volunteer information on corruption and should give members of the public, confidence to volunteer information that will assist in apprehending those involved in corrupt activities.

We have also established the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission and prescribed harsh penalties for corrupt public officers. To inculcate probity in the public sector, we included provisions for declaration of wealth, tightened procurement procedures, and provided mechanisms for reporting alleged crimes to the authorities.

At the same time, my Government has continued to nurture an open society, in which the media is able to investigate and report on corrupt dealings. Parliament itself is able to conduct its own hearings, while our vibrant civil society continues to be alert and free to report and comment on perceived corruption without restriction. We have truly achieved a considerable amount of success in the fight against corruption.

However, it is evident that we need to do more. We need to remain vigilant and resolute in fighting the vice. And, we must broaden the fight by enlisting the support and participation of every citizen in our country. Indeed, this is partly the reason why last year, I challenged members of the National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee to come up with innovative ways of ensuring that the general public become an active partner in the fight against corruption.

I am therefore happy to see the creation of the District Anti-Corruption Civilian Oversight Committees. The committees will monitor the operations and activities of government functions and expenditure in areas such as finance, public works, health and education. They will be a critical battlefront in winning the war against corruption by involving ordinary citizens as voluntary and effective watchdogs of the public good. In this era of devolved and specialised funds, these committees will be critical in ensuring that the funds being channelled to the constituencies and districts, are utilized efficiently and accountably for the public good.

The committees will therefore play a critical role in monitoring the use of the Constituency Development Fund, the Local Authority Transfer Fund, the Youth Enterprise Fund, as well as resources allocated for payment of school bursaries, maintenance of roads, and implementation of HIV/AIDS programmes.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

My Government has implemented deliberate efforts to ensure that development funds are allocated, as close as possible, to the point of use. The administrative district and constituency have become focal points for these allocations. Significant resources are now being allocated each year to finance development activities at the local levels. Considerable benefits are already being enjoyed throughout the country as a result of this government policy.

The Constituency Development Fund for instance, is changing rural lives and the lives of the urban poor. We are also allocating a large proportion of our budget directly to primary schools under the Free Primary Education programme, while bursary funds are being provided to support poor children in secondary schools. My government has also increased allocations to the Local Authority Transfer Fund because of the crucial role it plays in strengthening our local authorities. However, the use of these resources has not always had the desired effect.

Last week, my government launched the Youth Enterprise Development Fund. This fund has the potential to expand opportunities for Kenyan youth to engage in business. We must remain vigilant in order to ensure that these funds are put to good use. It is the Government's intention to continue with these policies of devolution and to deepen their application. It is important, therefore, that citizens get to know about these funds so that they can ensure that they are being utilized prudently.

Besides playing a watchdog role, these Committees are also expected to play an educative and advocacy role. Even as we seek to punish corrupt individuals, we must accord equal attention to the need to change community and societal attitudes and mindsets. These are largely to blame for the entrenchment of the culture of corruption in the past. All of us, have at one time or other witnessed with dismay known beneficiaries of corruption use their ill-gotten wealth to peddle influence and canvass for public sympathy and support. I expect the committees to mobilize communities to reject such people, and instill proper respect for honesty, fair-play and expectation of just reward for one's labour. The committees should also inculcate in the minds of the people that favouritism and impunity lie at the root of bribe-giving and bribe-taking, and will not be tolerated.

In this respect, the oversight committees should continually sensitize communities from the grassroots level that the fight against corruption requires much more than punishing those who extort bribes. It is a call to everyone to desist from asking for favours from their leaders, paying bribes or seeking exemptions in cases of criminal wrongdoing, refusing to support or shelter corrupt individuals in the name of communal solidarity, and choosing to live by the rules of justice and fairness to all.

Today's launch covers the initial phase of nine (9) districts selected from across the provinces, and eventually all the districts in the country will be covered. During this phase, members of the public are invited and encouraged to debate freely on the roles of the committees and to suggest ways of improving their effectiveness in fulfilling their mandate.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I congratulate the National Anti-Corruption Campaign Steering Committee and its members of staff for this innovation. My Government remains committed to accepting and implementing workable ideas aimed at systematically ending corruption in all spheres of life in Kenya.

With these remarks, it is now my pleasure to officially launch the District Anti-Corruption Civilian Committees.

Thank you and God Bless You All.

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