Tuesday, June 4, 2013

EACC questions Principal Secretary nominee Kibunjia

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National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia (centre) flanked by NCIC and Commissioners at a press conference in Nairobi. Dr Kibunjia was June 3, 2013 grilled by the anti-graft body. FILE
National Cohesion and Integration Commission chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia (centre) flanked by NCIC and Commissioners at a press conference in Nairobi. Dr Kibunjia was June 3, 2013 grilled by the anti-graft body. FILE  NATION MEDIA GROUP
By LUCAS BARASA lbarassa@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, June 4  2013 at  09:36
The National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) chairman Mzalendo Kibunjia was Monday grilled by the anti-graft body.
Dr Kibunjia, who is among individuals shortlisted for principal secretaries positions arrived at the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission at 3 pm.
EACC vice-chairman Irene Keino confirmed Dr Kibunjia appeared before the commission.
“A number of people have been interviewed. We are interviewing them one by one. We are trying to clear the backlog,” Ms Keino told theNation on the telephone.
She said a number of individuals shortlisted for the principal secretaries jobs had been interviewed by EACC.
Ms Keino could, however, not disclose the nature of the investigations saying she was out of office. Ms Keino referred the Nation to EACC chief executive officer Halake Waqo but he could not be reached for comment.
EACC wants 15 nominees for principal secretary jobs locked out for failing integrity test.
The team fears the 15 could be among the 66 individuals sent to President Kenyatta.
The names were forwarded by the Public Service Commission (PSC), which conducted the interviews.
EACC intends to submit its findings in a report to Parliament, which is set to vet the final list of nominees.
The EACC investigations is said to be the cause of delays in appointment of Principal Secretaries.
President Kenyatta has since appointed 16 Cabinet Secretaries after they were vetted and endorsed by Parliament.
Ms Keino said EACC will wait for the Clerk of the National Assembly to write to it “so that we can provide the information".
EACC investigators pitched tent at PSC offices in Nairobi last month to look into the profiles of the short-listed nominees and find out if those with questionable integrity had been included.
The commission has been on the spot with claims that the shortlisting process was marred by corruption, bribery and favouritism.
Principal secretaries are top level bureaucrats who will be the accounting officers under the new dispensation and the anti-corruption watchdog is keen to ensure only individuals of integrity get the positions.
The positions are said to have attracted a lot of interest as the Jubilee government is expected to initiate many projects.
But EACC has warned that billions of shillings for the projects could go to waste if people with questionable integrity are appointed to the posts.
The Constitution also sets a higher threshold for public officers as they are required to be above board.

Among the issues EACC is said to have investigated were claims that the pass mark and score sheets were arbitrarily altered to give undue advantage to preferred candidates and lock out others.

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