EACC bosses face pay cut, clipped powers in new Bill

The powers and pay of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) commissioners look set to be cut if a proposed law that seeks to make their work part time is adopted.

The commissioners have been serving full-time in what was a source of friction between the CEO Halakhe Waqo and former chairman Mumo Matemu over operations at the agency.

The changes are contained in the review of the EACC Act that will see the number of commissioners increased to five from the current three.

As a part-time employees, the commissioners will take a pay lower than the average monthly salary of about Sh1 million paid to members serving full-time in independent commissions.

The proposed law comes as President Uhuru Kenyatta named a panel to pick new EACC commissioners following the resignations of Mr Matemu in May, his deputy Irene Keino in April and another commissioner Jane Onsongo in March.

“The Bill also seeks to provide for the chairperson and the members of the commission to serve on a part-time basis,” says the amendments. “The Bill seeks to amend…to increase the number of commissioners from three to five,” says the proposed law dated June 19.

The commissioners and the EACC executives were locked in a row on who have executive authority over the operations of the anti-graft agency.

Mr Matemu was emboldened by the fact that their job was permanent, offering them executive roles. The friction became public in March when Mr Waqo revoked the suspension of his deputy, Michael Mubea, hours after Mr Matemu sent him on forced leave.

The CEO said the chairman did not consult him or the human resource office before taking action against Mr Mubea. Mr Matemu had suspended Mr Mubea for 30 days pending investigations into allegations of office malpractice.

Mr Mubea was in charge of the entire EACC operations, including directorates of investigations, prevention and legal services.

The commissioners also accused the CEO of allegedly keeping them in the dark on the preparation of the controversial list linking 175 top government officials to alleged corruption.

The senior public officers, including Cabinet secretaries, principal secretaries, governors and members of Parliament are accused of looting public coffers, conspiring with private firms to inflate prices of public goods, illegal transfer of land and the rigging of government tenders in favour of associates. Some have, however, been cleared.

The amendments seeks to model EACC organisational structure on that of corporates where the board or directors have oversight roles over executives charged with day-to -day operations of their firms.