Cherargei shifts blame to DCI and EACC over graft in counties
By Ndiritu Wanjiru, April 1, 2026Nandi County Senator Samson Cherargei has slammed the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over failure to enforce accountability in counties, arguing that weak investigations and inaction have enabled widespread corruption and undermined devolution, despite Parliament issuing binding recommendations to tackle misuse of public funds in county governments.
Speaking in a morning interview with a local radio station on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, Cherargei said that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) have not acted decisively on corruption involving the devolved units.
“It is the EACC and DCI who are failing the devolution. By the design of our Constitution, Parliament only recommends, the EACC investigates, and the DPP prosecutes. People are wondering, what is Parliament doing? The only thing we can do is recommend,” Cherargei said.
According to the outspoken lawmaker, the lack of visible consequences has weakened public confidence in oversight institutions. He linked the enforcement failures to broader concerns about misuse of locally generated revenue, saying that Kenyans pay parking fees, market fees, and land rates, but when an audit is being done, the money cannot be accounted for in terms of what it has been used for.
Cherargei proposes the creation of specialised anti-corruption courts
The senator proposed reforms to strengthen accountability, including the creation of specialised courts. He said there is a need for the government to have an anti-corruption court so as to have efficiency and transparency in government.
He also suggested expanding enforcement powers to ensure compliance with parliamentary oversight.
“We might request parliamentary police to detain fugitives of accountability. My only sadness is that we did devolve corruption in our counties. All it requires is the implementation by the requisite agency,” Cherargei added.
The remarks from the senator come amid concerns about governance and accountability within Kenya’s devolved system, with looming battles between the Senate and the Council of Governors.