Omogeni: Anti graft body not in leadership crisis

Written By:Catherine Achieng'a,    Posted: Wed, Aug 31, 2011

KACC Advisory board chair Okong'o Omogeni says they will meet Thursday to chat the way forward Implementation of the new Constitution continues to render top government officials jobless the latest casualty being the Kenya Anti Corruption Commission (KACC) top brass including the director PLO Lumumba who have since vacated office. However several questions remain over the implications to the taxpayer with the KACC directors hounded out of office just a year into their 5 year term contract. Chair of the KACC advisory board Okong'o Omogeni has however confirmed the board will be meeting Thursday to discuss the transition strategy even as he dispelled fears of a leadership gap in prosecution of pending corruption cases. Integrity centre has had its share of public praise and condemnation in equal measure. First was the exit of former director Aaron Ringera after a bruising battle in parliament, after which the immediate former director PLO Lumumba was appointed. Barely a year after receiving thumbs up from parliament his reputation has been put to test with Runyejes MP Cecily Mbarire alleging claims by Lumumba that her husband attempted to bribe him were false insisting lumumba received a cash donation to the Lumumba foundation of 100,000 shillings. Omogeni speaking exclusively to Channel one, said the board will be meeting to discuss among other issues the transition process to the new board as well as the corruption claims facing the immediate former director. He also sought to reassure Kenyans that there is no leadership gap with the exit of the directors, just one year into the job. Also of concern to the taxpayer has been the financial implication of hounding the top brass out of office one year into their 5 year contract. To this, Omogeni says the board will be looking into the issue, saying a clause to compensate the commission initially crafted in the transitional clauses to the Ethics and Anti Corruption law was scrapped by legislators who amended the particular clause. As fate would have it, the signing into law of the Ethics and Anticorruption Commission repealed the functions of the KACC, but the way forward will be known Thursday once the board meets over the issue of compensation and transition.