The government has stepped up the fight against corruption following the presidential assent to the Conflict of Interest Bill.
During the signing of the law at State House Nairobi on Wednesday, President William Ruto said the enactment of the Bill will curb the abuse of power by public officers, ensuring that public resources are used for their intended purpose.
He noted that the new law sets clear rules to ensure public officers serve with integrity, transparency and accountability.
He pointed out that the new legislation also gives Kenyans the opportunity to hold public officers accountable in their exercise of power.
“This is a very consequential moment in Kenya.
We are making it much more difficult for people to take advantage of the offices they occupy,” he said.
Ruto noted that the law empowers the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to oversee its implementation, saying the EACC will now deal with matters relating to wealth declaration for all public officers not only in the Executive but also in the Legislature and Judiciary.
“To the EACC, you now have levers to make sure that you protect the resources of the Republic of Kenya and hold every officer to account,” he said.
The principal objective of the law is to consolidate legislation relating to conflict of interest by repealing the Public Officer Ethics Act and establish a framework for managing such conflicts in the discharge of public duties under the general supervision of the EACC.
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