The lifestyle audit bill is a good law that seeks to keep the radar of the anti-graft watchdog on public servants including the President, his deputy, Cabinet secretaries, MPs and county executives for ten years.
Executives of State-owned firms and other senior civil servants who leave office after being suspected of theft of billions of shillings in taxpayer money will also be trailed for a decade.
The law however has gaps where legislators are trying to delete clause 25 that sought to remove restrictions on Kenyans seeking to access information on the wealth of top State officials, including the President and his deputy.
The clause required that the self-declared wealth declaration forms be made available to the public through a website or in an unrestricted database hosted by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC).
This was the second attempt to remove the restrictive clause that denies the public access to the information on the riches of State officers after a similar Bill was time-barred.
Before the EACC is given power to track former politicians for a decade after they leave office, it would be more prudent to give them the tools to combat graft now.
Increasing public scrutiny is the most efficient way to increase transparency in the public sector and curb the practice where influential State employees enrich themselves through scandals involving bogus tenders and suppliers.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
