EACC commits to investigate how the country’s debt rose to Ksh11.1 trillion

With the current government incurring a debt of over Sh2.4 trillion since taking office, the commission stated that some of the projects that benefited from the funds were on its radar.

This came as the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) backed calls to investigate how the funds were spent.

This was revealed during a meeting between EACC senior officers and members of the parliamentary committee at Sawela Lodge in Naivasha.

According to EACC chairman Bishop David Oginde, the commission was looking into past and current projects in the country to see how the funds were used.

Addressing the press on the sidelines of the meetings, Oginde stated that the commission would not work alone to combat corruption in the country.

He denied that the Naivasha retreat was a follow-up to the President and Judiciary meeting at the State House to discuss graft allegations.

JLAC Chair George Murugara stated that the committee fully supports investigations into how the State's borrowed funds were used.

He stated that the committee could continue to support EACC in dealing with graft through appropriate legislative and budgetary allocations.

The Tharaka MP at the time rejected calls for EACC prosecutorial powers, pointing out that the commission could not investigate and prosecute its own cases.

This was echoed by EACC CEO Twalik Mbarak, who noted that calls for prosecutorial powers had pros and cons, adding that they would be abused for political purposes.

He was quick to point out that they were working closely with the ODPP, noting that low budgetary allocation, a lack of staff in the judiciary, and poor leadership were all affecting their work.

Regarding the recent gas explosion in Embakasi, he stated that the EACC was not involved in the investigation, but that other government agencies were.