The proposals of the 14th Regional Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies in Commonwealth Africa, which was held in Ghana last week, may require public authorities in Kenya to declare their wealth publicly in the near future.
Kenya, Ghana, Cameroon, Lesotho, Sierra Leone, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Seychelles, Mauritius, South Africa, Nigeria, Namibia, and Zambia were among the nations participating at the regional anti-corruption summit.
Kenya was represented by an EACC delegation headed by Deputy Chief Executive Officer Abdi Mohamud of the Commission.
The group gave a presentation on Kenya’s experience and best practices in combating corruption, with a focus on recovering assets that were acquired through corrupt or unexplained means.
In order to ensure that all public officers disclose their assets and liabilities, the Conference determined to push all Commonwealth African states to enact the necessary legal reforms.
In Kenya, the law mandates that public officials disclose their wealth after 30 days of beginning their employment, once every two years, and within 30 days of continuing their employment. Nonetheless, the forms for declaring wealth remain private.
The Conference acknowledged the cross-border character of corruption and decided to enhance regional and international coordination and cooperation.
It also decided that governments in the Commonwealth of Africa should take into account legislation that places the burden of evidence on those who possess wealth that cannot be explained, as well as enhancing the use of technology in the fight against corruption.
The Commonwealth African states were urged by the Conference of Heads of Anti-Corruption Agencies to allocate sufficient funds to anti-corruption law enforcement organisations in order to guarantee their efficacy and long-term viability in the fight against corruption.
