'Courts must be respected!' EACC clarifies concerns of dropping cases

The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has defended its handling of high-profile corruption cases, urging Kenyans to respect court decisions and due process.

Speaking during a Radio Citizen interview on Monday, EACC Chief Executive Officer Abdi A Mohamud dismissed claims that the commission drops cases or conducts weak investigations.

Addressing concerns over cases such as the Arror and Kimwarer dams scandal investigated by the DCI and other high-profile cases that have gone through the judicial system, the EACC boss emphasised that courts determine outcomes, not the commission.

“I cannot mention cases we have not investigated...We investigated the maize scandal but Kenyans must understand that our Constitution has given us a lot of freedoms. Sometimes we may not be happy since someone can go to court and appeal, saying they are innocent," he said.

“Someone can either be released or be jailed. The case we are talking about has passed through many different courts, where they have all said that there was very strong evidence, and the guys were convicted and they were jailed for all those years.”

Mohamud maintained that acquittals or successful appeals should not be interpreted as failures of investigation.

“When someone is freed after the appeal process, it doesn’t mean the case was weak or there was poor investigation. Let’s not blame the courts for doing their work," he explained.

He added that the judiciary must be allowed to independently discharge its mandate, saying, "We must respect our courts because we cannot say that every accused person should be jailed. Sasa tukisema hivyo kazi ya Mahakama itakua gani?”

The EACC CEO also pushed back against accusations of political bias, insisting the commission operates independently.

“Sisi hatuegemei upande wowote wa kisiasa. We are an independent commission,” he said.

Mohamud further accused politicians and graft suspects of using the commission as a scapegoat in a bid to shape public opinion when they have a case to answer or are found guilty.

“Some politicians and corruption suspects often use EACC as a scapegoat to show their innocence or absolve blame when they are guilty," he explained.

He said the commission has stepped up public engagement efforts, including working with counties and institutions such as the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development, to promote ethics and anti-corruption awareness.

“We are also holding public awareness forums… We are working with KICD so that children are cautioned about ethics and corruption at a young age,” he added.

The remarks come amid growing public scrutiny over the handling and outcomes of corruption cases involving senior government officials.