Ambassadors of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the European Union are among those who will meet the top anti-graft officials.
Donors and several other prominent individuals have voiced concerns about runaway corruption in Kenya in recent days.
International donors are expected to take a tough line with Kenya including increased drive to root out corruption despite the EACC describing their meeting Thursday as courtesy call.
Top diplomats from more than 10 Western countries will meet officials of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) Thursday amid reports of high-level corruption in the country.
Ambassadors of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan and the European Union are among those who will meet the top anti-graft officials.
These countries are Kenya’s top donors and have in the past threatened to withhold aid or impose other sanctions over corruption.
Reports alleging purchase of goods and services by civil servants at inflated prices and theft of taxpayers’ money has raised pressure on President Uhuru Kenyatta, who has promised to tackle the vice.
“The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission will hold a meeting between EACC leadership and Heads of Mission on November 12 , 2015 at Integrity Centre, Nairobi, from 10.00 am” the commission said in a statement.
Donors and several other prominent individuals have voiced concerns about runaway corruption in Kenya in recent days.
“As I have said many times, corruption is undermining Kenya’s future,” US Ambassador Robert Godec said on Monday when discussing a trade deal with Africa.
“It is destroying jobs and causing investors to take their money elsewhere.”
The comments followed reports from Parliament that the Devolution ministry had bought goods at inflated prices. The list of items bought at highly inflated prices includes 100 units of 4 Giga Bites (GB) flash disks for Huduma Kenya secretariat at Sh242,500 in November 2013 – meaning each of the 4GB flash disks cost the taxpayer Sh2,425 compared to a market price of less than Sh1,000.
Adobe In-design Cs6 software was reportedly bought at a cost of Sh1.9 million despite the fact that it is available for $30 (Sh3060) a month.
The report also came in the wake of a loss of Sh791 million through corruption at the National Youth Service (NYS) which falls under the Devolution ministry, which has led to calls for suspension of the Cabinet Secretary.
The Interior ministry has also been questioned on suspect transactions amounting to Sh3.8 billion.
There has also been concern over the pace of investigating and prosecuting 176 cases that were tabled by Mr Kenyatta in Parliament more than eight months ago.
The EACC is the body charged with investigating corruption allegations both at the national and county governments. The commission has on several occasions been asked by the Director of Public Prosecutions to re-investigate some cases after it ignored critical areas.
International donors are expected to take a tough line with Kenya including increased drive to root out corruption despite the EACC describing their meeting Thursday as courtesy call.
In the past, donors have withheld pledges running into billions after the resurgence of corruption in the country.
The US has previously threatened to deny visas to those implicated in graft. Others who will attend the meeting are embassy heads from Japan, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Canada and Switzerland.
China is a major donor that will not be present at Thursday’s meeting at the EACC in line with its principle of non-interference with domestic issues of foreign countries.
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