The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) is conducting education and public awareness to fight corruption while partnering with co-operative societies to eradicate the vice.
EACC Deputy Director Dr. Emily Mworia said they aim to create a corruption-free society. She was speaking during a sensitization forum in Kitui County.
“We should not get tired of fighting corruption in the country. Let us all be like pastors. The pastors do not get tired of preaching the word of God. Don’t get tired,” Dr. Mworia said.
She noted that the commission had signed a memorandum of understanding with non-governmental organizations and savings and credit co-operative societies (Saccos) to wage war on corruption.
In Nakuru, EACC organized training of senior officials belonging to agricultural-based co-operative societies on integrity and good governance.
EACC Commissioner Colonel (Rtd) Alfred Mushimba noted the co-operative movement is a vehicle that has driven growth in the agriculture sector.
“We have realized that the various offenses related to governance issues are recurring yearly. We are training them so that they don’t commit offenses without knowing. Those who will repeat the same will have action taken against them,” he said.
He was speaking at the Pyrethrum Processing Company of Kenya (PPCK) after inaugurating training for 57 officials of various co-operative societies. Mushimba said EACC is offering training and capacity building to co-operatives leadership in the areas of ethics, integrity, anti-corruption, and good governance in seven counties.
“An assessment conducted by the Commission revealed that officials of co-operatives need specialized anti-corruption and ethics capacity building to entrench good governance, mainstreaming anti-corruption, integrity and sealing corruption loopholes in their systems, policies and procedures of work at the institutional level.”
EACC signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the State Department for Co-operatives in 2018 to offer capacity building to fight graft.
According to the Commissioner, a co-operative society with accountable and transparent leadership would reduce the cost of marketing farmer produce and enable farmers to realize higher returns.
He noted that co-operatives hold over 40 per cent of the GDP and 32 per cent of national savings.
Nakuru County Director of Cooperatives Josephine Ngandu expressed optimism that measures initiated by county and national governments in recent years have started bearing fruits, with co-operative leadership disputes reducing significantly.
She noted that the county had enacted the Cooperative Revolving Development Fund Act to establish a revolving fund for co-operative societies.
