Wabukala to release EACC scorecard on Wednesday

Kenyans will get a glimpse into the journey of retired Anglican Archbishop Eliud Wabukala at the helm of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission on Wednesday.

It will be almost 120 days since the National Assembly approved his appointment to succeed Philip Kinisu as the chairman of the troubled anti-graft agency.

“It is a heavy document,” he said of his scorecard to be released at a Nairobi hotel. “I will talk about a whole range of issues.”

The retired archbishop ascended to the helm of the agency at a time of great turbulence within the commission.

His predecessor Mr Kinisu had been forced to resign as a result of internal pressure from his fellow commissioners led by the vice chairperson Sophia Lepuchirit, commissioners Dabar Abdi Maalim, Paul Mwaniki Gachoka and Rose Mghoi Macharia, and top secretariat staff led by CEO Halakhe Waqo.

PUNISH EVIL

Mr Kinisu was accused of failing to disclose that his family company, Esaki Ltd, had traded with the National Youth Service which was at the time under investigation for loss of funds.

He took over at the commission with a belief that “government must punish evil… (and) government has responsibility to inflict punishment on corrupt people.”
President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Mr Wabukala from a shortlist of six candidates who were interviewed by the Public Service Commission.

According to the report of the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee which vetted him, Mr Wabukala had promised to build public trust and confidence in the anti-graft agency, bring stability to the commission by tapping into his experience from his religious background, and working closely with the secretariat to create a conducive environment for the commission to implement its policies.

He had also promised to “recognise and appreciate the good in each and every person he works with”, translating Kenyans’ awareness of anti-corruption efforts into action, having consultations on a regular basis with stakeholders, and being at the forefront in discouraging fundraising in church by politicians while also stopping churches from receiving such donations.

TOO EARLY

To what extent he has implemented his vision, anti-corruption crusader John Githongo said it was still too early judge.

“I think it is way too early to make a reasonable judgement on Wabukala’s tenure,” said Mr Githongo.

However, Mr Githongo said “his greatest success thus far has been to avoid controversy which is no mean feat considering the travails of his predecessors”.