Public to participate in shaping anti-graft bill

Written By:Glena Nyamwaya,    Posted: Fri, Jun 10, 2011

CIC chair Charles Nyachae has called on public contributions to the Ethics and Anti-corruption Bill, 2011

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Friday called on the public to submit their memorandum on the Ethics and Anti Corruption Bill (EAC), 2011.

Citing section 5(6) of the Sixth schedule, CIC chair Charles Nyachae through a statement said the public now has an eight-day period to submit their contributions to the Bill between the 10^th and 18^th of June.

The EAC Bill will seek to establish the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), and provide for ethics, anticorruption and leadership matters.

According to the statement, Article 79 of the Constitution provides that Parliament should enact a legislation to establish an independent EACC, which shall be and shall have the status and powers of the commission under Chapter 15 of the Constitution.

The EACC shall ensure compliance with and enforcement of the provisions of Chapter six of the Constitution.

The CIC which is currently undertaking internal review of the EAC Bill has invited the public to submit written memorandum on the bill.

Of particular concern for the commission is issues to deal with the mandate and scope of the functions and powers of the EACC and whether the EACC should have preventative, investigative and prosecutorial powers.

Other areas of concern for the CIC include whether the scope of the EACC should be widened to include the regulation of public officers, private institutions among others, and the offences that fall within the anti-corruption realm and other criminal offences.

The bill can be accessed by the public on the CIC website and the memorandum on the same mailed or emailed to the commission.