MP Ichung'wah wants State Capture Commission formed to fight graft

National Assembly majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah wants the establishment of a State Capture Commission to tackle growing cases of corruption in the government.

Ichung’wah, in a statement on Wednesday, noted that corruption has become endemic in most public institutions, denying citizens quality services.

The Kikuyu MP said the commission will aim to deter corruption, restore public trust, and promote a culture of integrity and accountability in governance. It will independently investigate and expose instances of abuse of power and corruption, hold public officials accountable and recommend legal actions, he said.

“I have a proposal that I will bring to the table, that in the medium term to the long-term, for this country to be able to address corruption, we must institute a State Capture Commission that will deal decisively with how people who hold offices in this country use their offices to capture the state and perpetuate corruption as a norm,” Ichung’wah said.

“I will be presenting this proposal to the Executive, the Judiciary and even Parliament on the establishment of a commission to help us to decisively deal with corruption.”

President's pledge

Ichung’wa said that the commission will be established through a Private Members Bill which he intends to table before Parliament.

The proposal aligns with President William Ruto's promise to the public ahead of the August 2022 Presidential Election - to investigate officials said to use public resources for personal gain.

Calls have intensified in the last few months for the government to firmly deal with corruption cases. As part of efforts to tame the vice in the courts and public sector, President William Ruto and Chief Justice Martha Koome met on Monday, with leaders including National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.

At the meeting that took place at the State House in Nairobi, heads of the three arms of government - the Executive, the Judiciary and the Legislature - recommended the formation of a forum within the National Council on the Administration of Justice to craft the roadmap for addressing corruption in the public sector.