EAC outlines measures to stem graft

EAC meeting of the Sectoral Committee on Preventing and Combating Corruption held in Arusha, Tanzania, last week, made a series of recommendations to partner states aimed at uprooting corruption. Participants urged partner states to provide for budgetary allocations at the national level to supplement the meagre EAC budget that limits participation of actors in the fight against corruption in important meetings. In addition, they directed partner states to adopt the use of Information Technology while interviewing whistle blowers to uphold principles of witness protection. The meeting was convened in accordance with the EAC Calendar of Activities for the period January - June 2012. Participants were drawn from anti-corruption agencies/ombudsman, ministries of Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ministries of EAC Affairs, ministries in charge of Good Governance, Inspectorate of Government, Attorneys General Office, anti-corruption courts, civil society organisations and officers from the EAC Secretariat. It was convened to consider progress in the implementation of previous decisions of the Council of Ministers, share information on emerging national, regional and global issues and experiences in the Sector. Earlier, while opening the meeting, the EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Political Federation, Beatrice Kiraso, reiterated bloc’s commitment to “promoting anti-corruption, ethics, and integrity in the integration process.” “I need not emphasise that this constitutes a pillar of the EAC protocol on good governance and is in the fulfilment of the fundamental principles of the Community,” Kiraso said.She sought assurance from partner states on a workable institutional arrangement and an appropriate plan of action for effective and smooth implementation of the protocol. The meeting noted that partner states had made progress in the war against graft by putting in place relevant legislations, national action plans and strategies, including adopting international instruments such as AU and UN conventions on preventing and combating corruption. However, given the recent global report on graft, released by anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, which ranked regional countries poorly, there is concern that institutions involved in the fight against graft were not doing enough to stem the vice. “While appreciating the efforts being made by the partner states to fight corruption, the trends are not encouraging, to the extent that even institutions entrusted with the responsibility of fighting corruption are also implicated in the vice,” Kiraso said. Budgetary constraints, inadequate human resources and contradictory interpretation or application of whistle blower and witness protection laws were highlighted among the challenges that need to be tackled to successfully fight against graft. Rwanda was last year ranked the least corrupt country in the region, according to a global report on graft by anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International. It was followed by Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya while Burundi was ranked the most corrupt country in the EAC.

National

EAC outlines measures to stem graft