EACC boss regrets failure to declare conflict of interest

Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) chair Philip Kinisu admits failure to declare conflict of interest during his recruitment to head the anti-graft body.

Kinisu expressed regrets in not declaring interest in a family-owned company that has been linked to National Youth Service (NYS) scandal.

He said that he resigned from Esaki Ltd in 2008, rejoined the board in 2013 before resigning again in April 2016.

The embattled chair said that he did not perceive his engagement with Esaki Ltd as conflict of interest saying his move was as a result of the precedence set by other commissioners.

He further disclosed that the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officials, riding in an EACC vehicle, visited his home Wednesday evening asking him to record a statement over Esaki Ltd.

It is alleged that Esaki Ltd, which is run by Kinisu’s wife Mary, received Ksh 35.4 million from Devolution Ministry in the last three and a half years; Ksh 32,360,400 in 2014 and Ksh 3,085,900 in 2015.

Kinisu has admitted that the company received the payment from NYS though defying calls to resign saying the transaction was not illegal.

He attributed his woes to some of his commissioners at the EACC and high-placed individuals whose cases are under investigation by the anti-graft agency.

The EACC chair further distanced himself from the clearance of the commissioners of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) of allegations of corruption, saying he was not part of the investigation process since he was still new in office.

Several MPs including Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter have called for fresh vetting of commissioners of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) after the allegations linking Kinisu to the corruption at the NYS.

Keter said that the commission, as currently constituted, does not instill faith in Kenyans in the execution of its mandate and the war on corruption.

In July this year, High Court Judge Edward Mureithi had directed the Ethics and Anti Corruption Commissioners (EACC) Halakhe Waqo, Michael Mubea and other commissioners not to issue statements regarding the ongoing investigation of the EACC chair.

This is after activist Okiya Omtata moved to court under a certificate of urgency seeking to compel Deputy CEO Michael Mubea to make full disclosure regarding Ksh 50.4 million which was allegedly paid on the 14 of April 2015 through the firm of Michael Daud, MS Ogola and Company Advocates.

“I suspect that the said money is part of Ksh 791 million that was stolen from National Youth Service and which EACC was investigating with the Deputy CEO Michael Mubea,” argued Omtata.