GRAPHIC | CHRISPUS BARGORETT | NMG
Public servants made away with Sh605.1 million in the financial year ended June 2023, giving a sneak peek into the billions of shillings siphoned from the exchequer without any prosecution.
The Public Service Commission (PSC), in latest disclosures on the status of compliance of government entities with the values and principles of the Constitution, says a further Sh222.7 million had been stolen but was recovered.
The latest loss through corruption compares with Sh1.22 billion lost in the previous financial year and Sh226.7 million in 2020/2021, bringing the cumulative figure of confirmed theft proven in court at Sh2.05 billion.
The PSC says the number could either mean that corruption in State offices is not as widespread as is always perceived or most of the graft cases go unreported.
“Based on the low number of organisations that reported corruption cases and the low number of officers affected (0.04 percent out of the 253,318 in the reporting organizations) it is apparent that corruption cases may not be as widespread as the perceptions indicate or most of the persons affected do not report incidents of corruption,” said the PSC.
It says the low reporting may also be because the scope of this evaluation excludes public officers under other commissions such as the National Police Service Commission, Teachers Service Commission, Judicial Service Commission, Parliamentary Service Commission and the County Public Service.
The public service is estimated to have about 750,000 officers. The PSC says its report comprises only a third of the public service.
Most of the looting happened in the State corporations and semi-autonomous government agencies, where Sh564.18 million was lost in 18 entities. Some Sh529.23 million related to the abuse of office while Sh33.71 million was tied to economic crimes.
A further Sh212.7 million had been stolen from the 18 entities but was recovered. This came when 10 ministries and State departments lost Sh40.93 million. A further Sh9.99 million had been stolen but was recovered.
The PSC report showed that 31 out of the 523 responding State organisations reported cases of corruption affecting 109 officers, rising from the previous year when 22 institutions reported graft cases, giving a total of 338.
Of the 109 cases reported 21 were still under investigation, 20 were referred for administrative action and 34 officers were charged in court. No information was provided for 34 other cases. Four officers were convicted, 12 were acquitted while five were discharged. The PSC said cases for 50 officers were ongoing while the status of those affecting 38 officers was not provided.
Transparency International in 2021 ranked Kenya at position 128 out of 180 on corruption perception and perceived level of public sector corruption at 30 percent.
The PSC reckons that Transparency International is one of the key yardsticks and lenses through which Kenya is gauged in terms of good governance, transparency and accountability. At position 128, Kenya is at the bottom third among the countries perceived as most corrupt.
“This, therefore, means that the low levels of reporting and convictions on cases of corruption could also be an indicator of low confidence level in the ability of State agencies tasked with the fight against corruption to act on corruption cases,” says the Commission.
The PSC has recommended that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission undertake a study by the end of March to establish the disconnect between the low levels of reporting corruption incidents and the perception of the public sector.
The Commission said 3,002 or 22.5 percent of public officers hired in the financial year under review filed wealth declaration forms, presenting a gap that may be exploited in future for corruption.
Public officers declare wealth to help in monitoring their worth while in service. Without the initial declaration, it is difficult to know the movement in their net worth.
