The National Integrity Alliance (NIA), a coalition of five non-governmental organizations, has urged the Ethics and Anticorruption Commission (EACC) to investigate the recently dismissed cabinet secretaries. This appeal was made during a press conference on Thursday.
The alliance, led by the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC), emphasized the need for thorough scrutiny of the former ministers’ wealth through lifestyle audits. They also advised President William Ruto to prioritize integrity when appointing new leaders to these positions.
The lobby groups stated:
“We call on EACC to commence lifestyle audits and investigations targeting the recently sacked CSs and other public service officers.”
They further elaborated:
“These also include public officers that citizens have profiled for displaying obscene opulence that does not match their declared sources of income.”
Importance of Holding Dismissed Cabinet Secretaries Accountable
The human rights groups stressed the importance of holding the dismissed cabinet secretaries accountable for their tenure in office to ensure proper management of public funds.
Additionally, the NGOs called on President Ruto to investigate alleged atrocities committed against peaceful protesters during recent demonstrations. They specifically demanded action against former Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and former Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale regarding deaths that occurred during anti-government protests.
This comes after the two cabinet secretaries, Kithure Kindiki and Aden Duale publicly agreed to step down if the president felt they had let him down.
The alliance expressed:
“Kenyans have been aggrieved by the conduct of a majority of the former cabinet secretaries in addition, there has been no political accountability for the various corruption cases such as the fake fertilizer and the mosquito net scam.”
This appeal comes shortly after President Ruto’s decision to dismiss his entire cabinet, with the exception of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, who also serves as the foreign affairs minister.
