Twalib Mbarak sworn in as new EACC boss

Twalib Abdallah Mbarak was on Monday sworn in as Chief Executive Officer of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).

Mr. Mbarak, who takes over from Halakhe Waqo whose six-year tenure ended last week, was sworn in on Monday afternoon in a ceremony presided over by Chief Justice David Maraga at the Supreme Court building.

Also present were Attorney General Paul Kihara, Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) George Kinoti, EACC Chairman Eliud Wabukala among others.

In his speech, the new EACC CEO acknowledged the government’s renewed fight against corruption further sounding a warning that under his watch graft would be made a “high risk venture.”

“Corrupt persons thrive on volatility. They exploit it for personal gain, and I am committed to make corruption a high risk venture in this country. Kenya will be a very inhospitable place for people who are corrupt,” he said.

Mr. Mbarak, a former military intelligence officer, said he would be banking on his experience from both law enforcement and the corporate background in executing his mandate at the anti-graft agency.

“I envision a country that is a hostile environment for corrupt individuals. Crime does not expire. You can acquire that dirty wealth but we will come for you. And we will make it very expensive for you because you will not have a retirement benefit from proceeds of corruption,” stated Mbarak.

He said the blueprint of his administration will focus on among other things ensuring “impactful” investigations by conducting comprehensive audit of the cases with a view of prioritising investigations based on factors such as subject matter, personalities involved and public interest.

He said he will also be seeking to ensure expeditious completion of investigations.

“I intend to review the current process and unblock any procedural bottlenecks that prevent us from working effectively. I expect this to be done both inside the commission and with the stakeholders dealing with this issue,” he said.

Mr. Mbarak further stated that he aims to build and strengthen on EACC’s intelligence and undercover capabilities to allow the anti-graft body tackle emerging threats and identify proactive lines as opposed to reactive investigations.

He added that he intends to strengthen the asset recovery function of the commission in a bid to recover stolen assets and ill-gotten wealth from the corrupt.

“The corrupt will fight harder to protect their ill gotten wealth from confiscation than they would do avoid imprisonment. Once the gain is seized from the corrupt individuals, the deterrence effect will trickle down at all levels if citizenship,” he said.

Twalib Mbarak served in the Kenyan military from 1984 to 1999 before joining the National Intelligence Service until 2006.

He later joined EACC until 2010 when he moved to electricity generating company KenGen where he worked as the security and integrity manager from 2012 until his appointment as EACC CEO.